The Continuing Grave Deterioration in the Human Rights and Humanitarian Situation in the Syrian Arab Republic

A/HRC/RES/27/16No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 4Human rights situations that require the Council's attention, published in 2014.

What other versions does this mandate have?

3 versions · 2014–2015

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/28/20

2015A/HRC/RES/28/20The continuing grave deterioration in the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab RepublicLatestCompare with previous version
2014A/HRC/RES/27/16The continuing grave deterioration in the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab RepublicCompare with previous version
2014A/HRC/RES/26/23The continuing grave deterioration in the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

18 topics

Abduction Accountability Chemical Weapons Civilian Persons Commissions of Inquiry Crimes Against Humanity Detained Persons Financial Assistance Human Rights in Armed Conflicts Human Rights Violations Humanitarian Assistance Internal Security International Humanitarian Law International Law Non-State Actors Syrian Arab Republic Torture and Other Cruel Treatment War Crimes

What does this mandate say?

30 operative paragraphs

Welcomes the reports 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 future accountability efforts, in particular, information on alleged perpetrators violating international law;

Demands that the Syrian authorities cooperate fully with the commission of inquiry, including by granting it immediate, full and unfettered access throughout the Syrian Arab Republic;

Strongly condemns all violations and abuses of international human rights law and all violations of international humanitarian law committed against the civilian population, in particular all indiscriminate attacks, including those involving the use of barrel bombs against civilian populated areas and civilian infrastructure, and demands that all parties immediately demilitarize medical facilities and schools and comply with their obligations under international law;

Expresses its deep concern at reports from the commission of inquiry and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the suffering and torture in detention centres throughout the Syrian Arab Republic;

Calls for the appropriate international monitoring bodies to be granted access to detainees in government prisons and detention centres, including the military facilities referenced in the reports of the commission of inquiry;

Expresses grave concern over the commission of inquiry’s reports on prisoners in government facilities being held in dire conditions, denied medical assistance and food and subjected to torture, and over the restrictions placed on food and medical supplies reaching Aleppo Central Prison and other detention facilities by a number of groups, including Jabhat al-Nusra;

Strongly condemns the reports of widespread use of sexual violence in government detention centres, including those run by the intelligence agencies, and notes that such acts may constitute violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law;

Reaffirms the Syrian authorities’ responsibility for enforced disappearances, and takes note of the commission of inquiry’s assessment that the Syrian authorities’ use of enforced disappearances amounts to a crime against humanity, and also condemns the targeted disappearances of young men following government-brokered ceasefires;

Demands that the Syrian authorities meet their responsibilities to protect the Syrian population;

Strongly condemns practices including abduction, hostage-taking, incommunicado detention, torture and killings carried out by non-State armed groups, most notably the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, and underlines that such acts may amount to crimes against humanity;

Expresses grave concern at allegations of torture in detention facilities controlled by non-State armed groups, and stresses that such acts constitute violations of international humanitarian law and abuses of human rights;

Expresses particular concern about the abduction, incommunicado detention and torture of human rights defenders by the Syrian authorities and armed opposition groups, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release;

Strongly condemns the intervention in the Syrian Arab Republic of all foreign terrorist fighters and those foreign combatants fighting on behalf of the regime, particularly militia groups from the region, and expresses deep concern that their involvement, and that of other militias like the shabbiha, further exacerbates the deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation, which has a serious negative impact on the region;

Also strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest, detention, ill-treatment and torture of children by government forces for their or their relatives’ alleged support to opposition groups;

Demands that the Syrian authorities, the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and all other groups halt the arbitrary detention of civilians, both Syrian and non-Syrian nationals, and release all civilians detained;

Also demands that the Syrian authorities end incommunicado detention and ensure that detention conditions are consistent with international law, and calls upon the Syrian authorities to publish a list of all detention facilities;

Condemns all violations and abuses committed against journalists and media activists, human rights defenders, humanitarian aid providers, and recognizes their role in documenting protests and human rights violations and abuses in the Syrian Arab Republic;

Strongly condemns the use of chemical weapons and all indiscriminate methods of warfare in the Syrian Arab Republic, which is prohibited under international law, and notes with grave concern the commission of inquiry’s finding that the Syrian authorities have repeatedly used chlorine gas as an illegal weapon, which constitutes a violation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction and is prohibited under international law;

Notes the reporting of the commission of inquiry, including on the amount and type of crimes committed, in which it assesses that crimes against humanity and war crimes have been and continue to be committed in the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic;

Also notes that the International Criminal Court was established to help to end impunity for such crimes where the State is unwilling or unable to genuinely carry out investigations or prosecutions;

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;

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;

Also reaffirms its commitment to international efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people for a civil, democratic and pluralistic State, where all citizens are equal, regardless of gender, religion and ethnicity;

Expresses deep concern at the growing number of refugees and internally displaced persons fleeing the violence, and welcomes the efforts by neighbouring countries to host Syrian refugees while acknowledging the socioeconomic consequences of the presence of large-scale refugee populations in those countries;

Strongly condemns the intentional denial of humanitarian assistance to civilians, from whatever quarter, and in particular the Syrian authorities’ denial of medical assistance and the withdrawal of water and sanitation services to civilian areas, stressing that the starvation of civilians as a method of combat is prohibited under international law;

Urges the international community, including all donors, 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;

Calls upon all members of the international community to respond expeditiously to the Syrian humanitarian appeal and to fulfil previous pledges;

Urges those countries with influence over the Syrian parties to take all measures to encourage the parties to the conflict to negotiate constructively and on the basis of the call made in the Geneva communiqué for the formation of a transitional governing body;

Decides to transmit all reports and oral updates of the commission of inquiry to all relevant bodies of the United Nations, including the General Assembly, and the Secretary-General for appropriate action;

Also decides to remain seized of the matter.

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