RES/20/22 Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic

GE.12-15346

Human Rights Council Twentieth session

Agenda item 4

Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council

20/22.

Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic

The Human Rights Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 66/176 of 19 December 2011 and 66/253 of

16 February 2012, Human Rights Council resolutions S-16/1 of 29 April 2011, S-17/1 of 23

August 2011, S-18/1 of 2 December 2011, 19/1 of 1 March 2012, 19/22 of 23 March 2012

and S-19/1 of 1 June 2012, and Security Council resolutions 2042 (2012) of 14 April 2012

and 2043 (2012) of 21 April 2012,

Calling for the urgent, comprehensive and immediate implementation of all

elements of the six-point proposal of the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the

League of Arab States, Kofi Annan, as annexed to Security Council resolution 2042 (2012)

without any preconditions, and recalling the ministerial meeting of the Action Group of 30

June 2012,

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and

territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and to the principles of the Charter of the

United Nations,

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 repeated encouragement to the

Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court,

Noting the oral update provided by the commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab

Republic during the interactive dialogue held on 27 June 2012, including on its special

inquiry into the events in El-Houleh, and expressing deep concern at its report that the

significant majority of victims were reported to be women and children who had been

deliberately killed in their homes,

 The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of the Council on its twentieth session (A/HRC/20/2), chap. I.

United Nations A/HRC/RES/20/22

General Assembly Distr.: General 16 July 2012

Original: English

1. Strongly condemns the widespread, systematic and gross violations of human

rights, acts of violence, ongoing atrocities and indiscriminate targeting of civilians by the

Syrian authorities, and also condemns the human rights violations and crimes that members

of the Government-controlled militia Shabbiha continue to commit against the Syrian

people;

2. Also strongly condemns the continued extrajudicial killings, the killing and

persecution of protestors, human rights defenders and journalists, cases of arbitrary

detention, enforced disappearances, interference with access to medical treatment, torture

and ill-treatment, and condemns in particular the targeted killing of children and the fact

that children have been subject to arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and ill-treatment,

including sexual violence;

3. Demands that the Syrian authorities release all persons arbitrarily detained

and immediately allow the access of independent human rights monitors to all detention

facilities, in particular those facilities where torture has been alleged to have occurred;

4. Deplores the alarming humanitarian and human rights consequences of the

lack of implementation of the six-point plan of the Joint Special Envoy of the United

Nations and the League of Arab States, and calls for the urgent, comprehensive and

immediate implementation by all sides of all its elements without any preconditions and in

the sequence prescribed by the plan;

5. Reiterates its urgent call upon the Syrian authorities to put an immediate end

to all violence and all human rights violations, and to meet its responsibility to protect the

Syrian population;

6. Reiterates that all violence in all its forms by all parties must cease;

7. Demands an immediate end to all attacks against journalists and media

outlets, and also that independent and international media be able to operate in the Syrian

Arab Republic without restrictions, harassment, intimidation or risk to life;

8. Stresses its support for the aspirations of the people of the Syrian Arab

Republic for a peaceful, democratic and pluralistic society, in which there is no room for

sectarianism or discrimination on ethnic, religious, linguistic or any other grounds, based on

the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental

freedoms;

9. Urges the Syrian authorities to immediately and fully implement the agreed

humanitarian response plan, including by granting immediate, safe, unimpeded and full

access of humanitarian organizations to all areas of the Syrian Arab Republic;

10. Invites all relevant United Nations agencies, in particular the Office of the

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to continue to provide support to Syrian

refugees and their host countries;

11. Reiterates the importance of bringing to justice those responsible for the

widespread and systematic use of violence against the Syrian people;

12. Underscores the importance of the recommendation of the commission of

inquiry that the Syrian people, on the basis of broad, inclusive and credible consultations,

should determine, within the framework provided by international law, the process and

mechanisms to achieve reconciliation, truth and accountability for gross violations, as well

as reparations and effective remedies for the victims;

13. Emphasizes the continued importance of the efforts of the commission of

inquiry to conduct international, transparent, independent and unfettered investigations into

alleged violations of international human rights law with a view to hold to account those

responsible for such violations, including for those that may amount to crimes against

humanity;

14. Encourages the international community to ensure that there is no impunity

for such crimes, stressing that the Syrian authorities have failed to prosecute alleged

perpetrators of such crimes;

15. Looks forward to the full report of the commission of inquiry, to be presented

to Human Rights Council at its twentieth-first session;

16. Recognizes that the commission will need additional resources in order to

completely fulfil its mandate;

17. Calls upon the Syrian authorities to cooperate fully with the commission of

inquiry, including by granting it immediate, full and unfettered access throughout the

Syrian Arab Republic, noting the unofficial visit of commissioner Paulo Pinheiro;

18. Decides to transmit all reports and oral updates by the commission of inquiry

to all relevant bodies of the United Nations and the Secretary-General for appropriate

action;

19. Recalls the standards for membership of the Human Rights Council as set

forth in paragraph 8 of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006;

20. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

33rd meeting

6 July 2012

[Adopted by a recorded vote of 41 to 3, with 3 abstentions. The voting was as follows:

In favour:

Angola, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso,

Cameroon, Chile, Congo, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Ecuador,

Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Libya,

Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Peru,

Poland, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Spain,

Switzerland, Thailand, United States of America, Uruguay

Against:

China, Cuba, Russian Federation

Abstaining:

India, Philippines, Uganda]