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Summary: As the Commission of Inquiry on Syria presented its latest report at the Human Rights Council's 22nd session, a number of States expressed their concern for children caught up in the conflict.
Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, introducing the report, said that the destabilizing effects of the conflict were increasingly felt throughout the region and the events in Syria were escalating very quickly into a disaster that could overwhelm the international response capacity – political, security and humanitarian. The Commission’s findings indicated that in their conduct of hostilities, the parties failed to protect civilians, and to distinguish themselves from civilians in the areas in which they operated, unnecessarily subjecting civilians to the brutality of war. All stakeholders in the Syrian crisis should redouble their efforts to facilitate a negotiated settlement and all parties to the conflict must comply with international humanitarian law in their conduct of hostilities. Those responsible for grave violations must be held responsible as there could be no enduring peace without justice. Syria response Syria, speaking as the concerned country, said that the Commission quite deliberately ignored all documents and information provided by the Government of Syria. In its conclusions and recommendations it had not spoken of the causes of the worsening situation. There were two objectives underlying the war in Syria, namely to dismantle Syria and to make it a puppet at the service of Israel, which had not openly entered in the conflict but constantly cooperated with Qatar, Turkey and the United States. Some had tried to give an international dimension to this crisis to ensure intervention. Qatar had financed and armed tens of thousands of mercenaries from 30 countries, and Turkey had provided the military base. They should not forget the war of misinformation. All of this ensured that the blood of the people had become a political tool, and the crisis had shown the Syrians who their true friends and enemies were. States' responses In the interactive dialogue, speakers expressed concern about the widespread violations of international human rights and humanitarian law taking place in Syria, and called for an immediate end to hostilities, highlighting the suffering of the Syrian people. Numerous delegations also expressed concern about the human rights situation of children, as well as reports of sexual violence against women, men, and children. Calls were made for the international community to support the neighbouring countries that were hosting refugees. There was a need for a political solution to be found and for those responsible for the perpetration of violations to be held accountable. Concern was also expressed with regards to the continuing and acute lack of humanitarian access. A number of speakers also supported the renewal of the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry and supported the referral of the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court. Further Information