US to boycott Conference on Disarmament session due to Syria heading it up
Geneva — The US said it will boycott Tuesday’s session of the Conference on Disarmament amid fear that Syria is using its presidency of the body to "normalise" the regime. "Based on Syria’s repeated attempts last week to use its presidency of the Conference on Disarmament to normalise the regime and its unacceptable and dangerous behaviour, we are not participating in today’s session," Robert Wood, the US ambassador to the Geneva-based body, said in a statement. "We will continue to defend US’s interests" in the disarmament body. Last week, Syria took over the body’s rotating, four-week presidency, which, according to a decades-old practice among its 65 member states, follows the alphabetical order of country names in English. Wood was present during the first plenary session on Syria’s watch a week ago, when he took the opportunity to lead a number of countries to protest what he described as "a travesty". Despite the mechanical nature of Syria’s arrival at the helm of the disarmam...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.