Head of UN Inquiry: Syria mired in violence, escalating violations

In a video statement before the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly yesterday, the chair of the Syria Commission presented the latest reports of the committee. He pointed to events in March of this year, when an estimated 1,400 men, women, and children—some less than one year old—were killed in massacres in the governorates of Latakia, Tartus, and Hama.

Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro said, “Despite the enormous challenges, there are also tremendous opportunities,” noting that Syrians now have a chance to rebuild their country on the basis of respect for dignity and human rights for all citizens.

The head of the commission also warned that the repeated and alarming waves of violence have “dampened optimism regarding the ability of transitional authorities to put an end to the deeply rooted cycles of violence in Syria.”

He further noted that the commission’s team was able to visit Sweida city and rural areas that were heavily affected by violence in July. He said, “Our teams witnessed firsthand the level of destruction in dozens of villages in the predominantly Druze areas west of Sweida. The death and devastation were immense.”

He called on Syria’s transitional government and member states to urgently address the underlying causes of the recent violence, prevent the recurrence of violations, and work to build trust between the state and affected communities, including through holding those responsible for the violations accountable.

Violence and discrimination against women

The chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria stressed that “violence and discrimination against women is a growing concern.”

He noted receiving multiple reports of women and girls being kidnapped by armed groups, with some subjected to sexual violence and forced marriage. In many cases, despite families notifying local authorities of their disappearance, families reported that no action was taken to investigate or follow up on the cases.

He also spoke about Israel’s advances into southern Syria and the resulting forced displacement and arbitrary detention of civilians, in addition to continued Israeli airstrikes. He also noted ongoing tensions in North and East Syria.

He said, “The safe country that respects rights and reflects the mosaic of religious and ethnic communities in the land requires strong, inclusive, and effective state institutions based on human rights and the rule of law.”

A-H 

ANHA