RES/29/16 The grave and deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic

Human Rights Council Twenty-ninth session

Agenda item 4

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 2 July 2015

29/16. The grave and deteriorating human rights and

humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the Charter of the United Nations,

Reaffirming all previous Human Rights Council resolutions on the Syrian Arab

Republic,

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

territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic,

Condemning the grave deterioration of the human rights situation and the

indiscriminate or deliberate targeting of civilians as such, in violation of international

humanitarian law, and acts of violence that foment sectarian tensions,

Condemning also the damage to and destruction of the cultural heritage of the Syrian

Arab Republic, as well as the organized looting and trafficking of its cultural property,

Expressing its deepest concern at the findings of the Independent International

Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic and the report into the credibility of

certain evidence with regard to the torture and execution of persons incarcerated by the

current Syrian regime regarding the allegations contained in the evidence presented by

“Caesar” in January 2014,See S/2014/244, annex.

Noting the observation of the Commission of Inquiry that, since March 2011, the

Syrian authorities have conducted widespread attacks against the civilian population as a

matter of policy,

Deploring the lack of cooperation by the Syrian authorities with the Commission of

Inquiry,

Expressing full support for the diplomatic efforts of the Special Envoy of the

Secretary-General for the Syrian Arab Republic aimed at finding a political solution on the

basis of the Geneva communiqué, including for the formation of a transitional governing

body with full executive powers,

1. Welcomes the work of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry

on the Syrian Arab Republic, and notes the importance of the work of the Commission of

Inquiry and the information it has collected in support of the future accountability efforts, in

particular the information on alleged perpetrators violating international law;

2. Demands that the Syrian authorities cooperate fully with the Human Rights

Council and the Commission of Inquiry by granting the Commission immediate, full and

unfettered access throughout the Syrian Arab Republic;

3. Strongly condemns the continued gross, systematic and widespread violations

and abuses of human rights and all violations of international humanitarian law by the

Syrian authorities and affiliated militias, including foreign terrorist fighters and those

foreign organizations fighting on behalf of the Syrian authorities, in particular Hizbullah,

Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and Liwa’ Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas;

4. Also strongly condemns the widespread use of sexual violence and torture in

detention centres, noting that such acts constitute violations of international human rights

law or violations of international humanitarian law, and calls for the appropriate

international monitoring bodies to be granted access to detainees in government prisons and

detention centres and for the Syrian authorities to publish a list of all detention facilities;

5. Further strongly condemns all arbitrary detention of individuals by the Syrian

authorities and demands the immediate release of all persons detained, including

individuals affiliated with non-governmental organizations accredited by the Economic and

Social Council, such as the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression;

6. Strongly condemns the continued use of chemical weapons in the Syrian

Arab Republic, including chlorine gas, which is prohibited under international law, and

demands that the Syrian Arab Republic respect fully its international obligations, including

the requirement that it declare its programme in full and eliminate it in its entirety;

7. Condemns the use by the Syrian authorities of heavy weapons, cluster

munitions and aerial bombardments, including any indiscriminate use of ballistic missiles

and barrel bombs and the shelling of medical facilities, and also condemns the starvation of

civilians as a method of combat against the Syrian population;

8. Strongly condemns the terrorist acts and violence committed against civilians

by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Daesh), al-Nusra Front and other

extremist groups, condemns in the strongest terms the violent extremist ideology professed

by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Daesh) and its continued gross,

systematic and widespread abuses of human rights and violations of international

humanitarian law, and reaffirms that terrorism, including the actions of the so-called

Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Daesh), cannot and should not be associated with any

religion, nationality or civilization;

9. Condemns all violations and abuses of international human rights law and all

violations of international humanitarian law, including against women and children, as well

as persons with disabilities, and urges all parties to the conflict not to commit

indiscriminate attacks, including those that affect civilian populations and objects, to

demilitarize medical facilities and schools, to comply with their obligations under

international humanitarian law and to respect human rights;

10. Strongly condemns violence against all persons on the basis of their religious

or ethnic affiliation, and calls upon all parties to respect fully international law;

11. Calls upon the international community to support the leadership and full

participation of women in all efforts aimed at finding a political solution to the Syrian Arab

Republic, as envisaged by the Security Council in its resolutions 1325 (2000) of 31 October

2000 and 2122 (2013) of 18 October 2013;

12. Emphasizes the need to ensure that all those responsible for violations of

international humanitarian law or violations and abuses of human rights law are held to

account through appropriate, fair and independent domestic or international criminal justice

mechanisms, and stresses the need to pursue practical steps towards this goal, noting the

important role that the International Criminal Court can play in this regard;

13. Reaffirms that, in the context of an inclusive and credible dialogue, the Syrian

people should determine the appropriate process and mechanisms to achieve justice,

reconciliation, truth and accountability for gross violations and abuses of international law,

as well as reparations and effective remedies for victims;

14. Expresses deep concern at the growing number of refugees and internally

displaced persons fleeing the violence, welcomes the efforts by neighbouring countries to

host Syrian refugees, and acknowledges the socioeconomic consequences of the presence

of large-scale refugee populations in those countries;

15. Deplores the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab

Republic and urges the international community to provide urgent financial support to

enable the host countries to respond to the growing humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees,

while emphasizing the principle of burden-sharing;

16. Welcomes the outcome of the third International Humanitarian Pledging

Conference for Syria, held on 31 March 2015 in Kuwait City, expresses its appreciation to

donor States, and calls upon all members of the international community to respond

expeditiously to the Syrian humanitarian appeals and to fulfil all previous pledges;

17. Demands that the Syrian authorities facilitate, and that all other parties to the

conflict do not hinder, the full, immediate and safe access of the United Nations and

humanitarian actors, including to besieged areas, in accordance with Security Council

resolutions 2165 (2014) of 14 July 2014 and 2191 (2014) of 17 December 2014, and calls

upon Member States to fund fully the United Nations appeals;

18. Reaffirms that there can only be a political solution to the conflict in the

Syrian Arab Republic, and urges the parties to the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic to

abstain from actions that may contribute to the continuing deterioration of the security and

humanitarian situation in order to reach a genuine political transition based on the Geneva

communiqué.

19. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

44th meeting

2 July 2015

[Adopted by a recorded vote of 29 to 6, with 12 abstentions. The voting was as follows:

In favour:

Albania, Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, El Salvador, Estonia,

France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Maldives, Mexico,

Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Paraguay, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of

Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, the former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and

Northern Ireland, United States of America

Against:

Algeria, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), China, Cuba, Russian Federation,

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Abstaining:

Bangladesh, Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Namibia,

Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Viet Nam]