A year of repression in Syria: UN Security Council has the duty to act

March 8, 2012

One year since the start of the repression in Syria, all 193 UN member states have the obligation to contribute to the immediate approval of a resolution by the Security Council condemning the repression and the violations being committed by the Syrian regime. China and Russia, which both have a permanent seat on the Security Council and which have already vetoed such a resolution on two occasions, need to support the measure.

The Security Council resolution should: (i) vehemently condemn and call for an immediate end to the serious and systematic human rights violations committed by the Syrian regime; (ii) demand the release of all arbitrarily detained prisoners; (iii) impose an arms embargo on the country; (iv) create humanitarian aid corridors; (v) urge the Syrian regime to authorize the presence and guarantee the security of the international press; (vi) impose individual sanctions on senior officials of the regime, such as the freezing of assets; and (vii) submit the case to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The primary cause of the human rights crisis in Syria is the repression and violations being systematically perpetrated by the Syrian regime. Any human rights abuses committed by civilian groups should be analyzed individually with the participation of independent observers from the international community.

Conectas took advantage of the opportunity to commend the Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/19/L.1/Rev.1 and the Security Council Presidential Statement adopted the week before. According to the UN, since the pro-democracy uprisings began in Syria on March 15, 2011, more than 7,500 people have died, including more than 400 children, some 18,000 people have been arbitrarily detained and nearly 95,000 people are either internally displaced or living as refugees in neighboring countries. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria stated in its latest report, published on February 22, 2012, that some of the systematic violations committed by the Syrian regime may constitute crimes against humanity.
 
The international community must demand the immediate end to the human rights violations and also guarantee that the perpetrators are prosecuted and punished according to international law. All the countries of the international community, particularly the members of the Security Council, must contribute to an immediate approval of a firm, categorical resolution based on human rights.

(i) Joint Special Envoy of the UN and the Arab League for Syria (Available at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2012/sgsm14124.doc.htm )

(ii)  The majority of these points have the support of the Arab League, in accordance with resolutions 7444 (Available at: http://twitdoc.com/upload/benmoran/sc-mtg-on-the-m-e-syria-sg-letter-e-.pdf ) and 7446 (Available at: http://www.arableagueonline.org/) and they are also present in resolutions A/RES/66/253 (Available at: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/66/253) and A/HRC/19/L.1/Rev.1 (Available at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session19/A_HRC_19_L.1_Rev.1_English-adopted.pdf) approved with a high quorum by the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.

(iii)  Available at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session19/A_HRC_19_L.1_Rev.1_English-adopted.pdf

(iv)  Available at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2012/sc10564.doc.htm

(v)  Available at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session19/A-HRC-19-69.pdf