The Deteriorating Situation of Human Rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the Recent Killings in Ei-Houleh

A/HRC/RES/S-19/1View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, published in 2012.

What subjects does this mandate have?

14 subjects

Arbitrary Detention Armed Forces Children Civilian Persons Freedom of Movement Human Rights Violations Human Security Humanitarian Assistance International Obligations Mass Media Political Violence State Responsibility Syrian Arab Republic Violent Deaths

What’s in this document?

15 operative paragraphs

Condemns in the strongest possible terms such an outrageous use of force against the civilian population, which constitutes a violation of applicable international law and of the commitment of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, under Security Council resolutions 2042 (2012) and 2043 (2012), to cease violence in all its forms, including the cessation of the use of heavy weapons in population centres;

Condemns in the harshest terms the outrageous killing of forty-nine children, all under the age of 10;

Deplores the fact that the recent killings in El-Houleh occurred in a context of continued human rights violations in the Syrian Arab Republic, including ongoing arbitrary detentions, hindered access for the media and restrictions of the right to peaceful assembly;

Emphasizes the continued failure of the Syrian authorities to protect and promote the rights of all Syrians, including through repeated and systematic violations of human rights;

Reiterates its urgent call upon the Syrian authorities to put an immediate end to all violence and all human rights violations, and to meet their responsibility to protect their populations;

Calls once again upon the Syrian authorities to immediately allow United Nations human rights mechanisms and missions full and unfettered access and freedom of movement within the Syrian Arab Republic;

Stresses the need to conduct an international, transparent, independent and prompt investigation into violations of international law with a view to hold to account those responsible for widespread, systematic and gross human rights violations, including those violations that may amount to crimes against humanity;

Requests the commission of inquiry to urgently conduct a comprehensive, independent and unfettered special inquiry, consistent with international standards, into the events in El-Houleh and, if possible, to publicly identify those who appear responsible for these atrocities, and to preserve the evidence of crimes for possible future criminal prosecutions or a future justice process, with a view to hold to account those responsible, and also requests the commission to provide a full report of the findings of its special inquiry to the Human Rights Council at its twentieth session, and to coordinate, as appropriate, with relevant United Nations mechanisms;

Calls upon the Syrian authorities to cooperate fully with the commission of inquiry and to accord it full and unfettered access to the Syrian Arab Republic to conduct its work;

Calls upon all States Members of the United Nations to assist the commission of inquiry in its mission by providing the support necessary for it to achieve its objectives, including, but not limited to, Member States calling upon the Syrian authorities to grant the commission the access required to conduct its work;

Calls upon the Syrian authorities to grant immediate, unimpeded and full access of humanitarian organizations to all areas of the Syrian Arab Republic in order to allow them to provide relief and humanitarian assistance, and calls on all sides to respect the safety of humanitarian workers;

Requests the cooperation, as appropriate, of other relevant United Nations bodies with the commission of inquiry to carry out its mission, and requests the assistance of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Secretary-General in this regard;

Calls for the urgent, comprehensive and immediate implementation of all elements of the six-point proposal of the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Kofi Annan, as annexed to Security Council resolution 2042 (2012) without any preconditions;

Invites the Joint Special Envoy for the United Nations and the League of Arab States to provide a briefing to the Human Rights Council at its twentieth session;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

The resolution will be contained in the report of the Human Rights Council on its nineteenth special session (A/HRC/S-19/2).

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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