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S/PV.6710 30 12-21919 attention on enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in the maintenance of international peace and security. South Africa therefore welcomes this engagement by the Council with the League of Arab States, which, due to its proximity and knowledge of the region, is able to play a meaningful role in assisting the Syrian people to overcome their challenges. We hope that this engagement will lead to a peaceful political solution to the conflict in Syria. We strongly believe that any solution should respect the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria, and at the same time uphold the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. We thank the Secretary-General of the Arab League for providing us with the report (S/2012/71, annex, enclosure 4) of the head of the League of Arab States observer mission to Syria, General Al-Dabi. The report, which is a first-hand account of developments on the ground, provides us with an invaluable assessment of the situation. As noted in the report, Syrian citizens also believe that the crisis should be resolved peacefully, through Arab intervention alone and without international intervention, as it would allow them to live in peace and complete the reform process and bring about the change they desire. It is imperative that there be an end to violence from all sides, as it is apparent from the observer mission report that the opposition is also armed. Consequently, civilians bear the brunt of the violence perpetrated by the Government and armed opposition groups. The critical question at this juncture is what positive contribution we can make as the international community, and the Security Council in particular, to assist the Syrian parties to resolve their conflict. Any action we take should be geared towards bringing the parties towards a peaceful resolution of their conflict rather than widening the gap between them. We therefore welcome the Arab League’s and all diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis in the country, and we encourage Syrian parties to explore all opportunities to find a political solution. We must avoid any action that may run the risk of further polarizing the parties and lead to an escalation of the violence. Military intervention to resolve political conflicts, as we have seen in other parts of the world — most recently in the Libyan situation — has unintended consequences not only for the country in question but for the wider region. That is something the Middle East can ill afford. We welcome the consideration of the situation in Syria through draft resolutions before the Council. We call for all the commitments and principles expressed by the delegations of the Arab League and others today to be better and more fully expressed in future drafts. South Africa shall engage constructively in those negotiations. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I now give the floor to His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani to make a further statement. Sheikh Al-Thani (Qatar) (spoke in Arabic): I apologize for asking to speak once again. I wish to note that our mission here is not to request military intervention from the Security Council or to take a decision in favour of military intervention. Moreover, we are not interfering in Syria’s internal affairs. It is a matter for the Syrian people to decide who shall govern them. I do, however, have a comment to make concerning the statement made by the representative of Syria. He referred to a poem by the late poet Nizar Qabbani. We all know that Nizar Qabbani was a bard of liberty, but we do not know what he would have to say about this situation if he were still alive. The representative of Syria talked about the colonialism under which the countries of the Gulf, especially Qatar, had suffered. Qatar was in fact never colonized but had signed a treaty with the United Kingdom that expired in the early 1970s, and had never had to resist colonialism because it and the other Gulf States lived in dire poverty until God blessed us with oil. Today, we are proud to stand by our Arab brothers who need our assistance, and we will help them without reminding them of our generosity. I should also like to raise the question of democracy. We in no way wish to interfere; we wish to work alongside the Syrian people in implementing reforms and relaunching democracy. Democracy in Syria began in 1919, and we hope most earnestly that it will prevail once again and bless the entire Syrian people with its benefits. With respect to Israel, we have no open front with that country, but our position is unequivocall