“Not for the first time, Syria has made commitments it has then broken. We will therefore judge the agreement between the Syrian leadership and the Arab League not by its wording but only by actions, namely its immediate implementation.
Violence must be ended without delay, the military withdrawn, political prisoners released and, not least, unimpeded humanitarian access granted. These are key prerequisites for a peaceful transition in Syria, which the country now needs more urgently than ever before.
I welcome the fact that the UN General Assembly has condemned the human rights violations in Syria by a large majority. This is an important – and clear – message from the international community to the regime in Damascus.”