A Syrian delegation has signed a protocol outlining the legal framework of the mission of observers the Arab League plans to send to Syria, the league's secretary general, Nabil al-Araby, said Monday.
The observers will monitor the Syrian government's commitment to an Arab initiative that seeks to end a security crackdown on protests sweeping the country since March. Protesters are demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.
The UN says that more than 5000 civilians have been killed by government security forces since the beginning of the mass demonstrations.
The Arab League's website posted portions of a press conference in which Araby explained that the protocol defines the observers' mission and stresses their freedom of movement across the country.
This protocol is not the final solution, but is rather a mechanism for implementing the initiative approved by the league, according to Araby. He said that signing the protocol will not automatically lift sanctions against Syria previously imposed by the league, explaining that Arab foreign ministers will decide whether or not to take this action.
Araby added that a delegation of legal, administrative and human rights experts will head to Syria to make arrangements for the observation mission.
Each delegation of the Arab mission will consist of about 10 people, including NGO members, Arab officials and media representatives, Araby said.
He said the mission, which will have a total of 100 members, will tour different areas of Syria, with the primary goal of protecting Syrian civilians.
Araby revealed a desire to arrange a meeting between various Syrian opposition forces, stressing that the Syrian people will have the final say on the means to achieve reform.
On Monday, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad arrived in Cairo for a meeting with Araby. He was received by Syrian Ambassador Youssef al-Ahmed. Both declined to make any statements while exiting the Cairo International Airport.
The protocol signed by Syria outlines a legal framework that will regulate the observation mission's relations with the government in Damascus, as well as bilateral cooperation.
Syria had earlier declined to sign the agreement which was first approved in an Arab ministerial meeting in Morocco on 16 November. Syrian officials argued that the protocol was drafted without the attendance of a Syrian representative, whose membership in the Arab League was frozen in November.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said from Damascus that Syria finally signed the protocol after the Arab League accepted some amendments to the original terms of the agreement. He did not elaborate on the amendments.
