On 29 May 2013, the UN Human Rights Council squeezed in an urgent debate on Syria into its already crowded schedule. CIVICUS representative Renate Bloem delivered the following statement.
CIVICUS supports this urgent debate, although it comes too late for the some 100, 000 people who have lost their lives, including those in Al-Qusayr. The un- civil war in Syria and the enormous human suffering is a direct consequence of the failure of the international community to arrive at diplomatic consensus on how to deal with the crisis in its early days when peaceful pro-democracy protestors and civilians were bombarded with heavy weapons by the regime in gross violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.
The current quagmire in the country represents yet another example of politicization of the human rights discourse where certain UN member states have taken sides in the conflict not on principle but with a view to furthering their strategic interests. As debates continue on how to end the crisis, CIVICUS would like to remind that crimes against humanity have been committed in the country by various parties to the conflict and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
The Syrian government must bear responsibility for torturing, imprisoning and murdering unarmed civilians calling for democratic reforms. Its actions have shown that it is a criminal regime with scant regard for the principles enshrined in the UN charter. Non-state armed groups have also committed gross violations of human rights for which they must be held accountable. Crucially the international community and UN member states must introspect about their role in both fuelling and ignoring the crisis.
CIVICUS urges the Council not to squander this opportunity to present a united position. All parties to the conflict in Syria must immediately cease hostilities and ensure (i) unimpeded access to the UN and other humanitarian agencies to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians, (ii) immediate release of all peaceful pro-democracy activists and civilians in detention.
The international community has a critical responsibility to ensure the restoration of basic human rights to the people of Syria with the ultimate aim of facilitating democratic rule in the country in line with the wishes of the people of Syria.