Emergency motion on Syria

Conference agendas are drawn up months in advance so there is always time reserved for urgent topical subjects or ‘emergency motions.’ The Liberal Democrats have their Spring Conference in Southport 9th–11th March and we are aiming to submit the following motion for debate.

There is always a lot of competition for the time slot reserved for such matters, so if you support this motion, please email info@libdems4freesyria.org with your full name, local party, and your membership number, by 8am on Tuesday 6th March.

Emergency motion on Syria

This motion builds upon F19—Towards a Stable and Peaceful Syria, passed March 2016.

The Liberal Democrats unreservedly condemn the perpetrators of the shocking violence in Syria.

Conference notes that:

1) The population of Eastern Ghouta have been under siege by Syrian Government and allied foreign militias since 2013.

2) On 18th February Assad launched a fresh assault upon the enclave. 13 MSF supported medical facilities were struck by bombs or shells in just 5 days. The Violations Documentation Center recorded 616 deaths in 10 days, including 604 civilians. The UN describes it as ‘Hell on Earth’.

3) Eastern Ghouta has been subjected to at least 3 suspected chemical weapons attacks since the start of the year.

4) The Assad regime ignores all demands for a ceasefire including UNSC Resolution 2401 passed on 25th February.

Conference calls for the UK government and our allies to:

A) Exert the pressure needed to enforce a ceasefire and uphold UN resolutions, by

I. Conducting aid airdrops—to all besieged communities who need it,
II. If necessary militarily deter further attacks on populated areas by Assad’s air force, such as was achieved in the 2017 missile strike on Shayrat air base.

B) Release aircraft tracking data related to Russian Air Force violations and introduce sanctions against Russian citizens and companies involved with providing military support to the Syrian regime.

C) Urgently review the mission parameters of our own military forces to set the protection of civilians as the primary aim and to recognise civilian protection as not just a moral imperative but also a strategic necessity in the fight to defeat terrorism.