50th Session of the Human Rights Council: Interactive dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic
UN Human Rights Council
50th session
Interactive dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry
on the Syrian Arab Republic
Intervention by Iceland, on behalf of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries.
After more than a decade of a brutal armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, civilians continue to bear the brunt of gross violations and abuses of international human rights law and international humanitarian law committed against them.
We are gravely concerned about continuous reports of such violations and abuses, not least targeted attacks and killings, torture and sexual and gender-based violence, arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances throughout Syria.
In a continuing pattern documented by the Commission for years, the Syrian regime and its allies have continued to indiscriminately target civilians. Once again, we demand all parties to the conflict to stop the systematic and widespread human rights violations and abuses, and comply with international humanitarian law.
We are also concerned about the rising risk of hunger in Syria, particularly in view of increasing global food insecurity as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. In this context, the extension of Security Council Resolution 2585 allowing continued cross-border humanitarian assistance in the northwestern part of the country is vital.
We express our unwavering support for the Commission of Inquiry and its mandate. The people of Syria deserve accountability for the crimes continuously committed against them.
The war has now lasted for more than 11 years. What can States do to ensure that the war and the suffering of the people of Syria are not forgotten, and to support accountability?
Thank you.