The United Nations has approved a French proposal which authorizes “combat by all means” against the ISIL terrorists

The United Nations has approved a French proposal which authorizes “combat by all means” against the ISIL terrorists.

Immediately after the vote on Friday night, France announced that it would mean the tripling the strikes against ISIL in Syria, with air strikes launched from their aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

Resolution 2249 does not provide any legal basis for military action and does not invoke chapter seven of the UN charter that authorizes the use of force.

French diplomats maintain, however, that it will provide important international political support to the anti-ISIL campaign that has been ramped up since the attacks in Paris on Friday that left 129 dead.

"This text is a call for international mobilization," said Francois Delattre, France's ambassador to the UN.

David Cameron called it "an important moment". "We cannot expect others to shoulder burdens and risks of protecting this country,” he said.

Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, said it showed "the unity of the Security Council in working to defeat ISIL."

He added: "ISIL’s murderous violence requires a strong security response. That is why the UK is working as part of the Global Coalition to degrade and defeat ISIL in Syria and Iraq and, when necessary, striking against those who pose a threat to the UK, and our people and interests.”

Until now the UN has not been asked to vote on military action, because America, France and Britain knew that Russia would veto any text.

But this time Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the UN, indicated that he did not have any objections to the French text, and suggested that the Russian measure could be adopted at a later time.

Churkin recalled that after the September 11 attacks, there was a first resolution adopted quickly, followed by a broader one, and said "it may well be that we will go down that road again."

The text states that the Security Council is “determined to combat by all means this unprecedented threat to international peace and security.”

President Francois Hollande will meet Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama next week to discuss the next steps. David Cameron is pressing to expand Britain’s contribution beyond air strikes in Iraq. He wants to begin air strikes in Syria, and has said he would like to seek Commons approval but only if he is confident of success.