United Nations
General Assembly
A/HRC/RES/33/23
Distr.: General
6 October 2016
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Thirty-third session
Agenda item 4
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 30 September 2016
33/23.
The human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the Charter of the United Nations,
Reaffirming all previous Human Rights Council resolutions on the Syrian Arab
Republic,
Welcoming the adoption by the Security Council of its resolution 2268 (2016) on 26
February 2016,
Reaffirming its strong commitment to the full respect of sovereignty, independence,
unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic,
Demanding that the Syrian authorities meet their responsibility to protect the Syrian
population,
Condemning the grave deterioration of the human rights situation and the
indiscriminate or deliberate targeting of civilians as such, in violation of international
humanitarian law, and acts of violence that foment sectarian tensions,
Recalling the statements made by the Secretary-General and the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights that crimes against humanity and war crimes are
likely to have been committed in the Syrian Arab Republic,
Recalling also that, amid expressions of popular discontent over restrictions on the
enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, civilian protests erupted
in Dar’a in March 2011, and noting that the excessive and violent suppression of civilian
protests by the Syrian authorities, which later escalated to the direct shelling of civilians,
fuelled the escalation of armed violence and extremist groups,
Expressing its deepest concern about the findings of the Independent International
Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic,
Deploring the lack of cooperation by the Syrian authorities with the Commission of
Inquiry,
GE.16-17322(E)