RES/S-19/1 The deteriorating situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the recent killings in El-Houleh

GE.12-13773

Human Rights Council Nineteenth special session

1 June 2012

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council *

S-19/1

The deteriorating situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab

Republic, and the recent killings in El-Houleh

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 22

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

2012, and Security Council resolutions 2042 (2012) of 14 April 2012 and 2043 (2012) of

21 April 2012,

Condemning the killings, confirmed by United Nations observers, of dozens of men,

women and children and the wounding of hundreds more in the village of El-Houleh, near

Homs, in attacks that involved the wanton killing of civilians by shooting at close range and

by severe physical abuse by pro-regime elements and a series of Government artillery and

tank shellings of a residential neighbourhood, and reiterating that all violence in all its

forms by all parties must cease,

Recalling that, in a statement made on 27 May 2012, the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights stated that the atrocities in El-Houleh may amount to

crimes against humanity, and noting her repeated encouragement to the Security Council to

refer the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic to the International Criminal Court,

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,

1. Condemns in the strongest possible terms such an outrageous use of force

against the civilian population, which constitutes a violation of applicable international law

and of the commitment of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, under Security

Council resolutions 2042 (2012) and 2043 (2012), to cease violence in all its forms,

including the cessation of the use of heavy weapons in population centres;

2. Condemns in the harshest terms the outrageous killing of forty-nine children,

all under the age of 10;

*

The resolution will be contained in the report of the Human Rights Council on its nineteenth special session (A/HRC/S-19/2).

United Nations A/HRC/RES/S-19/1

A/HRC/RES/S-19/1

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3. Deplores the fact that the recent killings in El-Houleh occurred in a context

of continued human rights violations in the Syrian Arab Republic, including ongoing

arbitrary detentions, hindered access for the media and restrictions of the right to peaceful

assembly;

4. Emphasizes the continued failure of the Syrian authorities to protect and

promote the rights of all Syrians, including through repeated and systematic violations of

human rights;

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 their responsibility to protect

their populations;

6. Calls once again upon the Syrian authorities to immediately allow United

Nations human rights mechanisms and missions full and unfettered access and freedom of

movement within the Syrian Arab Republic;

7. 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;

8. Requests the commission of inquiry to urgently conduct a comprehensive,

independent and unfettered special inquiry, consistent with international standards, into the

events in El-Houleh and, if possible, to publicly identify those who appear responsible for

these atrocities, and to preserve the evidence of crimes for possible future criminal

prosecutions or a future justice process, with a view to hold to account those responsible,

and also requests the commission to provide a full report of the findings of its special

inquiry to the Human Rights Council at its twentieth session, and to coordinate, as

appropriate, with relevant United Nations mechanisms;

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

inquiry and to accord it full and unfettered access to the Syrian Arab Republic to conduct

its work;

10. Calls upon all States Members of the United Nations to assist the commission

of inquiry in its mission by providing the support necessary for it to achieve its objectives,

including, but not limited to, Member States calling upon the Syrian authorities to grant the

commission the access required to conduct its work;

11. Calls upon the Syrian authorities to grant immediate, unimpeded and full

access of humanitarian organizations to all areas of the Syrian Arab Republic in order to

allow them to provide relief and humanitarian assistance, and calls on all sides to respect

the safety of humanitarian workers;

12. Requests the cooperation, as appropriate, of other relevant United Nations

bodies with the commission of inquiry to carry out its mission, and requests the assistance

of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Secretary-General in

this regard;

13. Calls 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;

14. Invites the Joint Special Envoy for the United Nations and the League of

Arab States to provide a briefing to the Human Rights Council at its twentieth session;

A/HRC/RES/S-19/1

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15. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

2nd meeting

1 June 2012

[Adopted by a recorded vote of 41 to 3, with 2 abstentions. The voting was as follows:

In favour:

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

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

Hungary, India, 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:

Ecuador, Uganda]