HRC34 - EU intervention - Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic
Thank you Mr. President.
The EU commends the CoI for its excellent work and supports the extension of its mandate. The EU reiterates its call to the Syrian authorities to cooperate with the Commission and grant it unhindered access.
The EU welcomes the resumption of political talks in Geneva, while remaining extremely concerned with the continuing violations of the ceasefire in the country.
The report on Aleppo underlines how the violence reached untold and unacceptable suffering for thousands of its inhabitants. The intensity and scale of the aerial bombardment of eastern Aleppo, by the Syrian regime and its allies, was clearly disproportionate and the deliberate targeting of hospitals, medical personnel, schools and essential infrastructure, as well as the use of barrel bombs, cluster bombs, and chemical weapons, constituted a catastrophic escalation of the conflict and have cause further widespread civilian casualties, including amongst women and children and may amount to war crimes.
The EU is seriously concerned about the finding of the CoI that attributes the targeting of the humanitarian convoy on 19 September to the Syrian air force. Τhe EU stresses out that deliberately attacking humanitarian relief personnel, denying humanitarian aid and attacking civilians, constitute serious violations of human rights and of International Humanitarian law.
The EU has continued intensive humanitarian diplomacy and seeks ways to improve access and protection as well as to promote humanitarian principles and local consensus on guidelines for the delivery of aid. The EU calls on all parties, especially the Syrian regime, to provide full and unhindered countrywide access to all those in need and to end all obstruction to the delivery of humanitarian aid. The EU is hosting the Brussels Conference on Supporting the future of Syria and the region, on the 5th of April.
The use of starvation of civilians through the besiegement of populated areas for which the regime bears the greatest responsibility, as a tactic of war, and forced population transfers are a clear breach of international humanitarian law and must stop.
The EU condemns all indiscriminate attacks and atrocities perpetrated by Da'esh and other UN-listed terrorist groups against the Syrian people.
The EU firmly believes that there can be no military solution to the conflict. The EU commends Special Envoy de Mistura for his relentless mediation efforts, and fully supports for the UN-led political process and genuine political transition in line with UNSCR 2254 and reiterates its commitment to the unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the Syrian state.
The EU reiterates its strong support for transitional justice and accountability for all serious human rights violations and abuses and violations of International Humanitarian Law including any such acts which may constitute war crimes or other committed in Syria by all parties including Da'esh and renews its call to the UN Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. The use of chemical weapons by the regime and Da’esh, confirmed by the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism, as well as other violations and abuses of human rights and International Humanitarian Law must be brought to justice.
The Commission’s ongoing efforts in documenting violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by all parties are to be commended, and supported. This is fundamental for future accountability efforts.
The EU welcomes the new International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism adopted by the General Assembly and supports steps towards its swift operationalisation in close cooperation with the CoI.
We reiterate that the Syrian authorities bear the primary responsibility to protect civilian population and deplore their continued failure to do so. EU remains deeply alarmed by the absence of protection for groups in vulnerable situations, including persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities.
Thank you.