UN Secretary General António Guterres says he has been following the reports of the strikes by the US, UK and France – three of the five permanent members of the Security Council – and warns that they have an obligation to “act consistently with the Charter of the United Nations and with international law in general”.
He went on: “The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. I call on the members of the Security Council to unite and exercise that responsibility.
“I urge all member states to show restraint in these dangerous circumstances and to avoid any acts that could escalate the situation and worsen the suffering of the Syrian people.”
Mr Guterres also expressed his “deep disappointment” that the Security Council has failed to agree on a dedicated mechanism to investigate alleged uses of chemical weapons in Syria. The US and Russia vetoed each other’s proposals for setting up an investigative body on Tuesday. Läs uttalandet