The Deteriorating Situation of Human Rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the Recent Situation in Aleppo

A/HRC/RES/S-25/1View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, published in 2016.

What subjects does this mandate have?

12 subjects

Accountability Aleppo (Syrian Arab Republic)Human Rights Human Rights Monitoring Human Rights Violations Humanitarian Assistance Internal Security International Humanitarian Law Relief Corridors Report Preparation Syrian Arab Republic Terrorism

What’s in this document?

14 operative paragraphs

Demands that all parties to the Syrian conflict, in particular the Syrian authorities and its allies, immediately comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as applicable, including with respect to all besieged and hard-to-reach areas, calls upon all parties to implement fully and immediately all the provisions of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014) of 22 February 2014, 2165 (2014) of 14 July 2014, 2191 (2014) of 17 December 2014, 2199 (2015) of 12 February 2015, 2254 (2015) of 18 December 2015, 2258 (2015) of 18 December 2015 and 2268 (2016) of 26 February 2016, and recalls the importance of holding accountable those responsible for all violations of international humanitarian law and all violations and abuses of international human rights law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic;

Urges the immediate implementation of the cessation of hostilities;

Demands that all parties, in particular the Syrian authorities and its supporters, promptly allow rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access for United Nations humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners, including across conflict lines and borders, in order to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches people in need through the most direct routes;

Also demands that the regime and its allies end immediately all aerial bombardments of and military flights over Aleppo city;

Further demands that the Syrian authorities cooperate fully with the Human Rights Council and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic by granting the Commission immediate, full and unfettered access throughout the Syrian Arab Republic;

Strongly condemns all use of starvation of civilians as a method of combat, and all besiegement directed against civilian populations;

Also strongly condemns the terrorist acts and violence committed against civilians by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Daesh), Al-Nusrah Front or other terrorist organizations designated by the Security Council, and their continued gross, systematic and widespread abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law, 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, and stresses the importance of the full implementation of Security Council resolution 2170 (2014);

Emphasizes the need to ensure that all those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law or violations and abuses of international 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;

Demands that all parties comply with the requests made by the United Nations and their implementing partners for humanitarian access, including by observing the cessation of hostilities as described by the Security Council in its resolution 2268 (2016) and ending all bombardments of and military flights over Aleppo city, in order to facilitate immediate, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access, including to all of Aleppo by the United Nations and their implementing partners, recognizing that this requires a sustained absence of violence as determined sufficient by the United Nations and their implementing partners to allow humanitarian assistance;

Underlines that humanitarian access should be to the full number of people in need as identified by the United Nations and their implementing partners, with the full spectrum of humanitarian assistance as determined by the United Nations and their implementing partners, and that the evacuation of urgent medical cases should be facilitated by all sides solely on the basis of urgency and need;

Reiterates that the only sustainable political solution to the current crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that includes the full and meaningful participation of women, meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, with a view to the full implementation of the Geneva communiqué of 30 June 2012 as endorsed by the Security Council in its resolution 2118 (2013) of 27 September 2013, including through the establishment of an inclusive transitional governing body with full executive powers, which shall be formed on the basis of mutual consent while ensuring the continuity of governmental institutions, and the full implementation of Council resolutions 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016);

Expresses in this regard its fullest support for the Special Envoy’s efforts towards the full implementation of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), and urges all parties to the Syrian conflict to cooperate constructively and in good faith with the Special Envoy to this end, especially with a view to immediately address the situation in Aleppo;

Requests the Commission of Inquiry to, consistent with its mandate, conduct a comprehensive, independent special inquiry into the events in Aleppo, to, where possible, identify all those for whom there are reasonable grounds to believe that they are responsible for alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law, and to support efforts to ensure that perpetrators of alleged abuses and violations are held accountable, and also requests the Commission to provide a full report of the findings of its special inquiry to the Human Rights Council no later than its thirty-fourth session;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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