UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — JIM’s mandate expires on November 17. There are currently two draft resolutions on renewing its mandate — one presented by Russia and the other by the United States. Both suggest renewing JIM’s mandate, but on different terms.
"United States requested a vote at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, November 16, on its latest draft UN Security Council Resolution that would renew the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism," the US Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The selective approach and disdain for the OPCW standards played a dirty trick on [JIM head Edmond] Mulet" as the OPCW-UN report is marked by "a low level of professionalism, on the verge of dilettantism" and its conclusions about Damascus' alleged use of sarin nerve agent are "fully untenable," the ministry statement read.
Shortly before the report was presented, Russia blocked a UN Security Council draft resolution on the extension of the JIM mission's mandate, suggesting that prolonging its mission should be discussed only after the report is assessed.