On 12 March 2015, a coalition of 21 humanitarian and human rights organisations, including Alkarama, said in a joint report that the parties to the Syrian conflict and United Nations Member States, in particular Members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), have been "Failing Syria". After assessing the impact of UNSC resolutions in protecting and assisting civilians in Syria, the coalition concluded that these resolutions have all been ignored or undermined, leading to the worst year of conflict so far.
In February 2014, the UNSC unanimously adopted Resolution 2139, demanding an urgent increase in access to humanitarian aid in Syria and that all parties immediately cease attacks against civilian, end arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and torture, and lift siege of populated areas. In July and December of the same year, two addition resolutions – 2165 and 2191 – were adopted, authorising aid operations into Syria.
Despite the international community's commitment to put an end to the suffering of the Syrian population, 2014 saw a dramatic intensification of the violence, being the deadliest year since 2011, with over 76'000 deaths out of a total of 220 000, including thousands of children. Not only have all the parties to the conflict failed to implement the UN Resolutions, but the UNSC and UN Member States, who hold the political, diplomatic and financial influence as well as the moral obligation to ensure the protection of civilians, have failed Syria.
"The responsibility to put an end to the massive and systematic violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including killings, enforced disappearances and torture, does not lie only with the Parties to the conflict," states Inès Osman, Legal Officer for the Mashreq at Alkarama. "UN Member States, especially UN Security Council members, must back their words with deeds, so that these UN Resolutions do not end up being empty promises. The world holds the responsibility to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population; we must go beyond mere words."
The coalition thus called upon the Parties to the conflict to abide by International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and humanitarian law (IHL) and requested the UNSC and UN Member States to take immediate steps to hold accountable those responsible for breaches of IHRL and IHL. Redoubled efforts must be made as a matter of urgency, including halt the targeting of civilians and put an end to the impunity that characterises the conflict.
For more information or an interview, please contact the media team at media@alkarama.org (Dir: +41 22 734 1007 Ext: 810)