UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Members of the Security Council are in intense negotiations on Wednesday for the renewal of the mandate of an independent investigation mechanism tasked to determine who was responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Russia last month vetoed a U.S.-sponsored draft resolution that would have extended for another year the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations.
After that, the United States and Russia have circulated competing draft resolutions among council members for consideration.
"Intense negotiations are going on. We are still hopeful that there will be a solution to a continuation of JIM, maintaining the mandate," Olof Skoog, the Swedish ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters on Wednesday. "It's very late in the day, but we're not giving up."
On the two competing draft resolutions, he said: "We are encouraging the United States and Russia to find a compromise."
Matthew Rycroft, the British ambassador to the United Nations, said it is "absolutely crucial" that the JIM mandate is renewed.
"Everyone (in the Security Council) wants it to be renewed. But we have different views about how it should be renewed," he told reporters. "I hope we can come together before the end of tomorrow (Thursday) to reach an agreement that allows it to carry on its work in a professional, independent, scientific and de-politicized way."
Asked about the consequences of the JIM mandate not to be renewed, Rycroft said: "The victors would be people who want to use chemical weapons in Syria ... Everyone in the council would be shooting ourselves in the foot if we allow that to happen."
Francois Delattre, the French ambassador to the United Nations, expressed the hope that the JIM mandate, which expires on Friday, will be renewed. "Until the last minute, there is hope."
