February 22, 2016
The
United States of America and the Russian
Federation, as co-chairs of the
International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and
seeking to achieve a peaceful settlement of
the Syrian crisis with full respect for the
fundamental role of the United Nations, are
fully determined to provide their strongest
support to end the Syrian conflict and
establish conditions for a successful
Syrian-led political transition process,
facilitated by the UN, in order to fully
implement the Munich Statement of the ISSG
on February 11th, 2016, UN
Security Council Resolution 2254, the 2015
Vienna Statements and the 2012 Geneva
Communiqué.
In
this regard, and in furtherance of the
February 11th decisions of the
ISSG, the United States and Russia, as
co-chairs of the ISSG and ISSG Ceasefire
Task Force, announce the adoption on
February 22, 2016, of the Terms for a
Cessation of Hostilities in Syria attached
as an Annex to this statement, and propose
that the cessation of hostilities commence
at 00:00 (Damascus time) on February 27,
2016. The cessation of hostilities is to be
applied to those parties to the Syrian
conflict that have indicated their
commitment to and acceptance of its terms.
Consistent with UN Security Council
Resolution 2254 and the statements of the
ISSG, the cessation of hostilities does not
apply to “Daesh”, “Jabhat al-Nusra”, or
other terrorist organizations designated by
the UN Security Council.
Any
party engaged in military or para-military
hostilities in Syria, other than “Daesh”,
“Jabhat al-Nusra”, or other terrorist
organizations designated by the UN Security
Council will indicate to the Russian
Federation or the United States, as
co-chairs of the ISSG, their commitment to
and acceptance of the terms for the
cessation of hostilities by no later than
12:00 (Damascus time) on February 26, 2016.
In order to implement the cessation of
hostilities in a manner that promotes
stability and protects those parties
participating in it, the Russian Federation
and the United States are prepared to work
together to exchange pertinent information
(e.g., aggregated data that delineates
territory where groups that have indicated
their commitment to and acceptance of the
cessation of hostilities are active, and a
focal point for each side, in order to
ensure effective communication) and develop
procedures necessary for preventing parties
participating in the cessation of
hostilities from being attacked by Russian
Armed Forces, the U.S.-led Counter ISIL
Coalition, the Armed Forces of the Syrian
government and other forces supporting them,
and other parties to the cessation of
hostilities. Military actions, including
airstrikes, of the Armed Forces of the
Syrian Arab Republic, the Russian Armed
Forces, and the U.S.-led Counter ISIL
Coalition will continue against ISIL,
“Jabhat al-Nusra,” and other terrorist
organizations designated by the UN Security
Council. The Russian Federation and United
States will also work together, and with
other members of the Ceasefire Task Force,
as appropriate and pursuant to the ISSG
decision of February 11, 2016, to delineate
the territory held by "Daesh," "Jabhat
al-Nusra" and other terrorist organizations
designated by the UN Security Council, which
are excluded from the cessation of
hostilities.
In
order to promote the effective
implementation of the cessation of
hostilities, the ISSG Ceasefire Task Force,
co-chaired by the United States and Russia,
has been established under UN auspices,
including political and military officials
from the co-chairs and other Task Force
members; the UN Office of the Special Envoy
for Syria (OSE) serves as secretariat. The
primary functions of the Task Force are, as
provided in the ISSG Statement of February
11, to: a) delineate the territory held by
“Daesh”, “Jabhat-al-Nusra” and other
terrorist organizations designated by the
United Nations Security Council; b) ensure
communications among all parties to promote
compliance and rapidly de-escalate tensions;
c) resolve allegations of non-compliance;
and d) refer persistent non-compliant
behavior by any of the parties to the ISSG
Ministers or those designated by the
Ministers to determine appropriate action,
including the exclusion of such parties from
the arrangements of the cessation of
hostilities, and the protection it affords
them.
The
United States and Russia are prepared, in
their capacities as co-chairs of the
Ceasefire Task Force and in coordination
with other members of the ISSG Ceasefire
Task Force as appropriate, to develop
effective mechanisms to promote and monitor
compliance with the ceasefire both by the
governmental forces of the Syrian Arab
Republic and other forces supporting them,
and the armed opposition groups. To achieve
this goal and to promote an effective and
sustainable cessation of hostilities, the
Russian Federation and the United States
will establish a communication hotline and,
if necessary and appropriate, a working
group to exchange relevant information after
the cessation of hostilities has gone into
effect. In addressing incidents of
non-compliance, every effort should be made
to promote communications among all parties
to restore compliance and rapidly
de-escalate tensions, and non-forcible means
should be exhausted whenever possible before
resorting to use of force. The United States
and Russia as co-chairs of ISSG Ceasefire
Task Force will develop such further
modalities and standard operating procedures
as may be necessary to implement these
functions.
The
United States and the Russian Federation
together call upon all Syrian parties,
regional states and others in the
international community to support the
immediate cessation of violence and
bloodshed in Syria and to contribute to the
swift, effective and successful promotion of
the UN-facilitated political transition
process in accordance with U.N. Security
Council Resolution 2254, the February 11
Statement of the ISSG, the 2015 Vienna
statements of the ISSG, and the 2012 Geneva
Communiqué.
ANNEX
TERMS
FOR CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN SYRIA
The
nationwide cessation of hostilities is to
apply to any party currently engaged in
military or paramilitary hostilities against
any other parties other than “Daesh”,
“Jabhat al-Nusra”, or other terrorist
organizations designated by the UN Security
Council.
The
responsibilities of the Syrian armed
opposition are set out in paragraph 1 below.
The responsibilities of the Armed Forces of
the Syrian Arab Republic, and all forces
supporting or associated with the Armed
Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic are set
out in paragraph 2 below.
1. To
take part in the cessation of hostilities,
armed opposition groups will confirm – to
the United States of America or the Russian
Federation, who will attest such
confirmations to one another as co-chairs of
the ISSG by no later than 12:00 (Damascus
time) on February 26 2016 – their commitment
to and acceptance of the following terms:
-
To
full implementation of UN Security
Council Resolution 2254, adopted
unanimously on December 18, 2015, ‑
including the readiness to participate
in the UN-facilitated political
negotiation process;
-
To
cease attacks with any weapons,
including rockets, mortars, and
anti-tank guided missiles, against Armed
Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, and
any associated forces;
-
To
refrain from acquiring or seeking to
acquire territory from other parties to
the ceasefire;
-
To
allow humanitarian agencies, rapid,
safe, unhindered and sustained access
throughout areas under their operational
control and allow immediate humanitarian
assistance to reach all people in need;
-
To
proportionate use of force (i.e., no
greater than required to address an
immediate threat) if and when responding
in self-defense.
2.
The above-mentioned commitments will be
observed by such armed opposition groups,
provided that the Armed Forces of the Syrian
Arab Republic, and all forces supporting or
associated with the Armed Forces of the
Syrian Arab Republic have confirmed to the
Russian Federation as co-chair of the ISSG
by no later than 12:00 (Damascus time) on
February 26, 2016 their commitment to and
acceptance of the following terms:
-
To
full implementation of UN Security
Resolution 2254, adopted unanimously on
December 18, 2015, including the
readiness to participate in the
UN-facilitated political negotiation
process;
-
To
cease attacks with any weapons,
including aerial bombardments by the Air
Force of the Syrian Arab Republic and
the Aerospace Forces of the Russian
Federation, against the armed opposition
groups (as confirmed to the United
States or the Russian Federation by
parties to the cessation of
hostilities);
-
To
refrain from acquiring or seeking to
acquire territory from other parties to
the ceasefire;
-
To
allow humanitarian agencies, rapid,
unhindered and sustained access
throughout areas under their operational
control and allow immediate humanitarian
assistance to reach all people in need;
-
To
proportionate use of force (i.e., no
greater than required to address an
immediate threat) if and when responding
in self-defense.
The
Russian Federation and the United States, as
co-chairs of the ISSG and ISSG Ceasefire
Task Force, are prepared to work together to
ensure effective communications and develop
procedures necessary for preventing parties
participating in the cessation of
hostilities from being attacked by Russian
Armed Forces, the U.S.-led Counter ISIL
Coalition, the Armed Forces of the Syrian
government and other forces supporting them,
and other parties to the cessation of
hostilities.
All
parties further commit to work for the early
release of detainees, particularly women and
children.
Any
party can bring a violation or potential
violation of the cessation of hostilities to
the attention of the Task Force, either
through the OSE or the co-chairs. The OSE
and Co-Chairs will establish liaison
arrangements with each other and the
parties, and inform the public generally
about how any party may bring a violation to
the attention of the Task Force.
The
United States and the Russian Federation as
co-chairs confirm that the cessation of
hostilities will be monitored in an
impartial and transparent manner and with
broad media coverage.
February 22, 2016 "Information
Clearing House"
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