Britain is to seek UN Security Council backing for “all necessary measures to protect civilians” in Syria, Prime Minister David Cameron said.
A UK-drafted draft resolution will be put to a meeting of the five permanent members in New York this evening “condemning the chemical weapons attack by Assad”.
“We’ve always said we want the UN Security Council to live up to its responsibilities on Syria. Today they have an opportunity to do that,” the Prime Minister said.
Labour has made a fresh effort to secure UN backing for a military intervention one criterion for giving its support for the Government in a vote when Parliament is recalled to discuss the UK’s response on Thursday.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “Britain has drafted a resolution condemning the attack by the Assad regime, and authorising all necessary measures under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter to protect civilians from chemical weapons.
“The resolution will be put forward at a meeting of the five permanent members of the Security Council later today in New York.”
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon earlier urged the members of the Security Council to “find the unity to act”. Previous efforts to secure anti-Assad action have been vetoed by Russia and China.Opinion: Sir Menzies Campbell on why the West should hold fire“The body entrusted with international peace and security cannot be missing in action,” Mr Moon said.
“The council must find the unity to act. It must use its authority for peace. The Syrian people deserve solutions, not silence.”
Moscow, which does not accept that there is evidence the regime was behind the deadly attack, maintained its opposition to military intervention.
Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov warned it would “lead to the long-term destabilisation of the situation in the country and the region”.