26 February 2011 - Libya - Remarks to the press by Mr. Gerard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations

Yesterday as I told you I was quite surprised that there was so much communality between the members of the Council. It is an earthquake. Really something is happening, not only in the Arab world, but in this organization. I don’t know if it will last but it is an earthquake. I can tell you the atmosphere inside the council has totally changed. So yesterday there was total commonality about the idea of sanctions. This simple idea is quite surprising that nobody is objecting that we have sanctions while it is an internal affair. That is quite something.

I should add of course there are some nuances; but on the arms embargo there is no problem, on the sanctions: no problem. The only question which is still on the table is the way we are going to make a reference to the ICC. There will be a reference but it is what we are going to negotiate.

It was not shown as sort of the West trying to drag the council into certain direction. It was the Arab League, it was the African Union, the Arab members of the Council, the African members of the Council which are actually leading the discussion and we are in the supporting role. It is quite new and quite exciting.

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