UN Security Council members are considering a draft resolution condemning the bloody Syria crackdown that has been amended in a bid to overcome Russian-led opposition.
The latest draft does not explicitly call on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down or mention an arms embargo or sanctions, though it "fully supports" an Arab League plan to facilitate a democratic transition.
Yesterday, diplomats said the new draft would be sent back to their governments for deliberations.
It was not immediately clear whether it would be approved and sent back to the 15 member council for a vote.
"Everyone will seek instructions from their capitals and we hope to be able to vote as soon as possible," Britain's UN ambassador, Mark Lyall Grant, said.
The latest attempt at consensus emerged after hours of talks stalled in the UN Security Council, with Russia leading the opposition to a tougher draft resolution authored by Western powers and the Arab League.
The new draft "fully supports" the 22 January Arab League request that Mr Assad transfer power to a deputy and a government of national unity within two months but does not call on him to step down, according to a copy obtained by AFP.
Instead, it calls for a "Syrian-led political transition to a democratic, plural political system... including through commencing a serious political dialogue between the Syrian government and the whole spectrum of the Syrian opposition under the League of Arab States' auspices, in accordance with the timetable set out by the League of Arab States."
Like previous versions, the draft "condemns all violence, irrespective of where it comes from."
The latest draft explicitly rules out the use of force under UN auspices.
Observers say some 6,000 people have been killed.
