A/HRC/RES/44/21
Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the
Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011, while noting the important role that the International
Criminal Court can play in this regard, and also the prerequisite role that accountability can
play in any effort to bring about a sustainable, inclusive and peaceful conclusion to the
conflict;
3.
Welcomes the call made by the Secretary-General for a global ceasefire and
that of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria for a complete, immediate and
nationwide ceasefire throughout the Syrian Arab Republic, and urges all parties to the conflict
to direct their efforts to enact it, and also urges all parties, particularly the Syrian authorities,
to engage meaningfully in the political process under the auspices of the Special Envoy and
his office in Geneva, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015) of 18
December 2015, and including with the equal voice and full and meaningful participation
and representation of women in all efforts and decision-making, and also welcomes in this
regard the announcement by the Special Envoy of his readiness to convene and facilitate a
third session of the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned constitutional committee in Geneva by the
end of August 2020;
4.
Deplores the military offensive that began in Idlib province and surrounding
areas in December 2019 and caused large-scale injuries, deaths, displacement and suffering
in the civilian population and devastating damage to civilian infrastructure, recalls the
findings of the United Nations Headquarters Board of Inquiry established by the SecretaryGeneral in this regard, also notes with grave concern the recent findings of the Commission
of Inquiry that there are reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against
humanity were committed during the said offensive, also notes the Commission’s comments
on the gendered impact of the military offensive, 1 and remains extremely concerned about
the situation;
5.
Demands that the Syrian authorities and their State and non-State allies
facilitate, and all other parties to the conflict do not hinder, full, timely, immediate,
unrestricted and safe humanitarian access, regrets in this regard the further reduction in
approved crossing points for cross-border humanitarian aid, and urges the Syrian authorities
to immediately and significantly improve cross-line access to prevent further unnecessary
suffering and loss of life;
6.
Strongly condemns the continued practice of enforced disappearance and
arbitrary detention, notably widespread in areas where the Syrian regime has retaken control,
which undermines the potential for genuine progress towards a political solution and that,
according to the Commission of Inquiry, represents an urgent and large-scale crisis of human
rights protection, and welcomes the priority given by the Special Envoy to this issue, and his
intention to actively pursue efforts to scale up action in this regard in his engagement with
all concerned;
7.
Demands in this respect the immediate release of all persons arbitrarily
detained, notes in particular the additional, potentially life-threatening risks to health created
by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the potential it has to exacerbate the
already dire situation of detainees, and notes in this regard the statements made by the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Envoy and the Commission of
Inquiry;
8.
Strongly condemns the use of sexual and gender-based violence, torture and
ill-treatment, particularly in detention facilities run by the Syrian authorities, highlights in
this respect the particular vulnerabilities of children in detention, and urges those responsible
to take immediately all appropriate measures to protect the lives and rights of all persons
currently detained;
9.
Urges all parties, but particularly the Syrian authorities, to grant immediate
access without undue restriction, to detainees and detention facilities to appropriate
international monitoring bodies and medical services, and to provide information on those
1
2
See A/HRC/44/61.