A/HRC/RES/37/1
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
9 March 2018
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Thirty-seventh session
26 February–23 March 2018
Agenda item 1
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 5 March 2018
37/1.
The deteriorating situation of human rights in Eastern Ghouta, in the
Syrian Arab Republic
The Human Rights Council,
Having held an urgent debate to discuss the deteriorating situation of human rights
in Eastern Ghouta, in the Syrian Arab Republic, which is currently under siege by the
Syrian authorities,
Recalling the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and all relevant
resolutions of the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Human Rights Council,
the most recent of which were Human Rights Council resolution 36/20 of 29 September
2017, General Assembly resolution 72/191 of 19 December 2017 and Security Council
resolutions 2393 (2017) of 19 December 2017 and 2401 (2018) of 24 February 2018,
Recalling also the statement of the Secretary-General to the Human Rights Council,
on 26 February 2018, including his clear position that Security Council resolution 2401
(2018) must be immediately implemented and sustained, in particular, to ensure the
immediate, safe, unimpeded and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance, the
evacuation of the critically sick and wounded, and the alleviation of the suffering of the
Syrian people, as well as his reiteration that all parties have obligations in international
humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure,
Recalling further the press release of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights of 21 February 2018 and his statement to the Human Rights Council on 26
February, in which he expressed alarm at the escalation of continued hostilities in Eastern
Ghouta and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and stressed the imperative of
granting immediate humanitarian access and ensuring swift facilitation of evacuations of
the sick and wounded, as well as civilians wishing to leave, adding that any political
agreement regarding Eastern Ghouta must be in conformity with international human rights
law and international humanitarian law, and that no forced displacement of civilians should
take place as a result of such a political agreement,
Emphasizing the need for accountability for human rights violations and abuses and
violations of international humanitarian law committed by all parties to the armed conflict
in the Syrian Arab Republic, and underlining in this respect the important role of the
Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic and the
International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and
GE.18-03599(E)