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The 70 countries, of the UN's 193 UN members, addressed a letter to Ban requesting the meeting.
Russia, China, many African countries and four other Security Council members -- Angola, Senegal, Japan and Venezuela -- did not sign the letter.
The meeting, to inform member countries about the crisis, would not lead to immediate action, Canadian Ambassador Marc-Andre Blanchard said.
"This is a time for the world to make sure we do everything possible to explore all ways to get to a cessation of hostilities and provide the humanitarian assistance needed on an urgent basis," he told AFP.
The initiative is being undertaken "because the Security Council has been unable so far to agree on the way forward," he said, adding that "the General Assembly role in this case is limited."
Other diplomats have acknowledged its main objective is to pressure on Russia to stop its relentless bombing of Aleppo, including British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, who characterized Thursday's meeting as "a first step."
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Russia, China, many African countries and four other Security Council members -- Angola, Senegal, Japan and Venezuela -- did not sign the letter.
The meeting, to inform member countries about the crisis, would not lead to immediate action, Canadian Ambassador Marc-Andre Blanchard said.
"This is a time for the world to make sure we do everything possible to explore all ways to get to a cessation of hostilities and provide the humanitarian assistance needed on an urgent basis," he told AFP.
The initiative is being undertaken "because the Security Council has been unable so far to agree on the way forward," he said, adding that "the General Assembly role in this case is limited."
Other diplomats have acknowledged its main objective is to pressure on Russia to stop its relentless bombing of Aleppo, including British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, who characterized Thursday's meeting as "a first step."
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