UN Human Rights Council extended the mandate of the commission of inquiry on Syria (paragraph 14) and requested the commission to provide an oral update to the Council at an interactive dialogue at its twentieth session and to present also a written updated report at an interactive dialogue at its twenty-first session.
Here is the resolution.
Here is the resolution.
Human Rights Council
Nineteenth
session
Agenda item 4
Human
rights situations that require the Council’s attention
Albania*, Andorra, Australia*, Austria,
Bahrain*, Belgium, Botswana, Bulgaria*, Canada*, Chile,
Costa Rica, Côte
d’Ivoire, Croatia*, Cyprus*, Czech
Republic, Denmark*, Djibouti, Egypt,
Estonia*, Finland*, France*, Georgia*, Germany*, Greece*, Honduras*, Hungary,
Iceland*, Ireland*, Israel, Italy, Japan*, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia*,
Liechtenstein*, Lithuania*, Luxembourg*, Maldives, Malta*, Mexico, Monaco*, Montenegro*, Morocco, Netherlands*, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Palestine, Poland, Portugal*, Qatar, Republic of Korea*, Republic
of Moldova, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis*, San Marino*, Saudi
Arabia, Slovakia*, Slovenia*, Spain, Sweden*, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey*, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland*, United States of America: draft resolution
19/… Situation of human rights in the Syrian
Arab Republic
The Human Rights Council,
Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the
United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant
international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, and that all States are bound to promote and
protect human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 66/176 of 19 December 2011 and 66/253 of 16
February 2012, as well as Human Rights Council resolutions S-16/1 of 29 April
2011, S‑17/1 of 22 August 2011, S-18/1 of 2 December 2011 and A/HRC19/L.1/Rev.1
of 1 March 2012,
Deploring the refusal of the Syrian authorities to implement the above-mentioned
resolutions, and the lack of cooperation with the commission of inquiry,
established by the Human Rights Council in its resolution S-17/1, including the
continued denial of access to the country,
Deploring also the escalation of violence
that has led to a grave and ongoing human rights crisis and increased human
suffering, and the fact that the Syrian authorities have manifestly failed in their
responsibility to protect the Syrian population,
Appalled at the ongoing and systematic brutal human rights violations by the Syrian
authorities against the Syrian people,
Recalling the statements made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights before the Security Council that
crimes against humanity are likely to have been committed in the Syrian Arab
Republic, and noting her encouragement to the Security Council to refer the
situation to the International Criminal Court,
Welcoming all efforts, decisions and measures of the League of Arab States to
address all aspects of the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the steps
taken by the League to ensure the implementation of its Plan of Action,
including its decisions of 2 November 2011 and 22 January, 12 February and
10 March 2012,
Welcoming also the appointment of the joint
special envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian
crisis, who is providing its good offices aimed at bringing an end to all
violence and human rights violations and at promoting a peaceful solution to
the Syrian crisis,
Welcoming further the holding of the first meeting of the Group of
Friends of the Syrian People on 24 February 2012 in Tunis, and the outcome as
reflected in the Chairman’s conclusions,
Reaffirming that all involved in the current crisis must show respect for and act in
conformity with human rights,
Reaffirming also its
strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial
integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and to the principles of the Charter,
1. Welcomes
both reports of the commission of inquiry established pursuant to Human Rights
Council resolution S-17/1[1] and the recommendations made therein, and expresses
profound concern about the commission’s findings that Government forces have
committed widespread, systematic and gross human rights violations that may
amount to crimes against humanity with the apparent knowledge and consent of the
highest levels of the State;
2. Condemns in the strongest
terms:
(a) The
sharply escalating widespread, systematic and gross violations of human rights
and fundamental freedoms perpetrated by the Syrian authorities, such as
arbitrary executions, excessive use of force and the killing and persecution of
protesters, refugees, human rights defenders and journalists, including recent deaths
of Syrian and foreign journalists, arbitrary detention, enforced
disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, including of adolescents and
children;
(b) The
attacks against civilians in cities and villages across the country, including
the artillery bombardments of residential areas, the levels of excessive and
indiscriminate force used consistently by units of the Syrian armed forces and
diverse security forces, and the coordinated nature of these attacks, noting
that there is credible and consistent evidence that these actions have been
conducted on the orders of the authorities, including high-ranking military
officers;
(c) The
extensive violations of children’s rights committed by the Syrian authorities,
including the killing of children during demonstrations and the widespread
practice of arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment;
(d) The
sexual violence committed by the Syrian authorities, including against male
detainees and children;
(e) The
deliberate destruction of hospitals and clinics, the obstruction and denial of
medical assistance to the injured and sick, and the raids and killing of
wounded protesters in both public and private hospitals;
3. Strongly
urges the Syrian authorities to put an immediate end to all violence and
all human rights violations;
4. Demands
that the Syrian authorities meet their responsibility to protect their
population;
5. Expresses
its grave concern at the prevailing systemic impunity for human rights violations and its entrenchment in
legislation, awarding immunity for State Government officials;
6. Stresses
that the widespread and systematic use of violence against Syrian civilians is
contrary to international criminal law and requires that perpetrators be
brought to justice;
7. Acknowledges
and is deeply troubled by the commission
of inquiry’s finding that there is a reliable body of evidence that provides
reasonable grounds to believe that particular individuals, including commanding
officers and officials at the highest levels of Government, bear responsibility
for crimes against humanity and other gross human rights violations;
8. Stresses
the need to conduct an international, transparent, independent and prompt
investigation into violations of international law with a view to hold to
account those responsible for widespread, systematic and gross human rights
violations, including those violations that may amount to crimes against
humanity;
9. Expresses
deep concern at the humanitarian
situation and urges the Syrian authorities to ensure timely, safe and
unhindered access for all humanitarian actors and to ensure the safe passage of
humanitarian and medical supplies into the country;
10. Invites
all relevant United Nations agencies, in particular the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to provide support to Syrian refugees
and their host countries;
11. Demands
that the Syrian authorities:
(a) Respect the popular will, aspirations and
demands of the Syrian people;
(b) Put an immediate end to all attacks against
journalists, fully respect freedom of expression in line with international
obligations, allow independent and international media to operate in the Syrian
Arab Republic without restrictions, harassment, intimidation or risk to life,
and ensure adequate protection for journalists;
(c) Take immediate steps to ensure the safety of
foreign nationals in the Syrian Arab Republic, including refugees and
diplomatic staff, as well as the protection of their property;
(d) Lift, without delay, the blockade of Homs, Dar’a,
Zabadani and all other cities under siege;
12. Commends
and supports the efforts and measures
of the League of Arab States, and calls upon the Syrian authorities to
implement the League’s Plan of Action of 2 November 2011 in its entirety, as
well as its decisions, without further delay;
13. Demands
that the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, in accordance with the Plan of
Action of the League of Arab States of 2 November and its decisions of
22 January and 12 February 2012, without delay:
(a) Cease all violence and protect its population;
(b) Release all persons detained arbitrarily due to
the recent incidents;
(c) Withdraw all Syrian military and armed forces
from cities and towns, and return them to their original home barracks;
(d) Guarantee the freedom of peaceful
demonstrations;
(e) Allow full and unhindered access and movement
for all relevant institutions of the League of Arab States and Arab and
international media in all parts of the Syrian Arab Republic to determine the
truth about the situation on the ground and monitor the incidents taking place;
14. Decides
to extend the mandate of the commission
of inquiry established by the Human Rights Council in its resolution
S-17/1, and requests the commission to continue its work, to provide an oral
update to the Council at an interactive dialogue at its twentieth session and
to present also a written updated report at an interactive dialogue at its
twenty-first session;
15. Requests
the commission of inquiry to conduct and continuously update a mapping exercise
of gross violations of human rights since March 2011, including an assessment
of casualty figures, and to publish it periodically;
16. Invites
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to
facilitate the safe and secure storage of information and evidence, gathered by
the commission of inquiry, on violations and abuses of international human
rights law in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011;
17. Calls on
the Syrian authorities to cooperate fully with the commission of inquiry,
including by granting it unhindered access to the country;
18. Repeats
its call upon the Syrian authorities to cooperate with the special procedures
of the Human Rights Council and with the Office of the High Commissioner,
including through the establishment of a field presence with a mandate to
protect and promote human rights;
19. Invites
the Secretary-General to take the measures necessary to support the efforts of
the League of Arab States, if requested, to contribute to a peaceful solution
to the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic consistent with the Charter of the
United Nations and the League’s decisions;
20. Recommends
that the main bodies of the United Nations urgently consider the reports of the
commission of inquiry and take appropriate action to address human rights
violations, as well as crimes against humanity that may have been committed;
21. Decides
to transmit the updated reports of the commission of inquiry to all relevant United
Nations bodies and the Secretary-General for appropriate action, and requests
the Secretary-General to present a report on the implementation of the present
resolution to the Human Rights Council at its twentieth and twenty-first
sessions;
22. Also
decides to remain seized of the matter and to consider further appropriate
steps to be taken.
* Non-Member
State of the Human Rights Council.
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