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| The Security Council's unanimous vote Saturday |
As barrel bombs continue to rain down on the
northwestern city of Aleppo, the United Nations Security Council on Saturday
(February 22) united for the first time on Syria and issued a resolution on
access to humanitarian aid in the war-torn country.
UNSCR 2139 says
both Syrian government and opposition forces must allow aid convoys to reach
civilians.
Although
it does not threaten sanctions, the resolution warns of "further
steps" if the sides do not comply.
Russia
and China, who vetoed previous similar resolutions during the three-year war,
voted in favor.
The
resolution calls for the cessation of shelling, aerial bombardments and barrels
bombs while demanding cross-border access for aid convoys as well as an end to
sieges across Syria.
Will
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad comply? As the saying goes, the proof of the
pudding is in the eating…
Reuters
quotes Lithuanian UN Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaite, president of the 15-member
Security Council for February, as describing the unanimous approval of the
resolution, drafted by Australia, Jordan and Luxembourg, as a "moment of
hope" for Syria's people.
Russia's
UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the Council after the vote that Moscow
supported the move because "many Russian considerations were borne in mind
and as a result the document took on a balanced nature."
China's
UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi said Beijing was "gravely concerned" by
Syria's worsening humanitarian situation. "We strongly urge all the
parties in Syria to implement this resolution in good faith," he said.
The
resolution asks UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to report to the Council in 30
days on implementation and "expresses its intent to take further steps in
the case of non-compliance."
But
it is unlikely Russia will agree to any action if Syria's government is found
to be in non-compliance.
The
United Nations says 9.3 million people need help -- nearly half the population
-- and that well over 100,000 people have been killed. The opposition Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights has said that more than 136,000 have been killed
since March 2011.
The
resolution "demands that all parties, in particular the Syrian
authorities, promptly allow rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for UN
humanitarian agencies... including across conflict lines and across
borders."
It
also demands all parties "cease all attacks against civilians, as well as
the indiscriminate employment of weapons in populated areas, including shelling
and aerial bombardment, such as the use of barrel bombs, and methods of warfare...
to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering."
The following is the full text of the 22 February
2014 UN Security Council Resolution 2139
(Syria -- Humanitarian Assistance)
* * * *
The
Security Council
Recalling its
resolutions 2042 (2012), 2043 (2012) and 2118 (2013),
and its Presidential Statements of 3 August 2011, 21 March 2012, 5 April
2012 and 2 October 2013,
Reaffirming its
strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial
integrity of Syria, and to the purposes and principles of the Charter of
the United Nations,
Being
appalled at the unacceptable and escalating level of violence and the
death of well over 100,000 people in Syria, including over 10,000 children, as
reported by the UN Secretary-General and the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict,
Expressing
grave alarm at the significant and rapid deterioration of the humanitarian
situation in Syria, in particular the dire situation of hundreds of thousands
of civilians trapped in besieged areas, most of whom are besieged by the Syrian
armed forces and some by opposition groups, as well as the dire situation of
over 3 million people in hard-to-reach areas, and deploring the
difficulties in providing, and the failure to provide, access for the
humanitarian assistance to all civilians in need inside Syria,
Emphasizing the
need to respect the UN guiding principles of humanitarian emergency assistance
and stressing the importance of such assistance being delivered on the basis of
need, devoid of any political prejudices and aims, commending the efforts
of the United Nations and all humanitarian and medical personnel in Syria and
in neighboring countries, and condemning all acts or threats of
violence against United Nations staff and humanitarian actors, which have
resulted in the death, injury and detention of many humanitarian personnel,
Expressing
grave concern at the increasing number of refugees and internally
displaced persons caused by the conflict in Syria, which has a destabilizing
impact on the entire region, and underscoring its appreciation for
the significant and admirable efforts that have been made by the countries of
the region, notably Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, to accommodate the
more than 2.4 million refugees who have fled Syria as a result of the on-going
violence, while acknowledging the enormous political, socioeconomic and
financial impact of the presence of large-scale populations in these countries,
and underscoring the need for all parties to respect and maintain the
security and civilian character of camps for refugees and internally displaced
persons,
Welcoming the
pledges totaling $2.5 billion at the Second International Humanitarian Pledging
Conference for Syria, hosted by Kuwait on 15 January 2014, and expressing
its appreciation to Member States and regional and sub-regional
organizations that have pledged to provide humanitarian assistance to people in
need in all parts of Syria, including internally displaced persons, as well as
to refugees in neighboring host countries, and calling on all Member
States to ensure the timely disbursement of pledges and continued support in
line with growing humanitarian needs,
Calling on
all parties to immediately end all violence which has led to human suffering in
Syria, save Syria’s rich societal mosaic and cultural heritage, and take
appropriate steps to ensure the protection of Syria’s World Heritage Sites,
Strongly
condemning the increased terrorist attacks resulting in numerous
casualties and destruction carried out by organizations and individuals
associated with Al-Qaeda, its affiliates and other terrorist groups,
and reiterating its call on all parties to commit to putting an end
to terrorist acts perpetrated by such organizations and individuals, while
reaffirming that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes
one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that
any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their
motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed,
Expressing
its regret that its Presidential Statement of 2 October 2013 (S/PRST/2013/15) has not
delivered as expected and has not yet translated into meaningful progress on
the ground, and that humanitarian aid delivery continues to be impeded
throughout Syria, while condemning all cases of denial of
humanitarian access and recalling that arbitrary denial of
humanitarian access and depriving civilians of objects indispensable to their
survival, including wilfully impeding relief supply and access, can constitute
a violation of international humanitarian law,
Emphasizing that
the humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate in the absence of a
political solution to the crisis, reiterating its endorsement of the
Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012 (Annex II of Resolution 2118 (2113))
and demanding that all parties work towards the immediate and
comprehensive implementation of the Geneva Communiqué aimed at bringing an
immediate end to all violence, violations and abuses of human rights and
violations of international law, and facilitating the Syrian-led political
process launched in Montreux on 22 January 2014, leading to a transition that
meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and enables them
independently and democratically to determine their own future,
1. Strongly
condemns the widespread violations of human rights and international
humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities, as well as the human rights abuses
and violations of international humanitarian law by armed groups, including all
forms of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as all grave violations and
abuses committed against children in contravention of applicable international
law, such as recruitment and use, killing and maiming, rape, attacks on schools
and hospitals as well as arbitrary arrest, detention, torture, ill treatment
and use as human shields, as described in the United Nations
Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict in Syria (S/2014/31);
2. Demands that
all parties immediately put an end to all forms of violence, irrespective of
where it comes from, cease and desist from all violations of international
humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights, and reaffirm their
obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights
law, and stresses that some of these violations may amount to war
crimes and crimes against humanity;
3. Demands that
all parties immediately cease all attacks against civilians, as well as the
indiscriminate employment of weapons in populated areas, including shelling and
aerial bombardment, such as the use of barrel bombs, and methods of warfare
which are of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering,
and recalls in this regard the obligation to respect and ensure
respect for international humanitarian law in all circumstances, and
further recalls, in particular, the obligation to distinguish between
civilian populations and combatants, and the prohibition against indiscriminate
attacks, and attacks against civilians and civilian objects as such;
4. Demands that
all parties, in particular the Syrian authorities, fully implement the
provisions of the 2 October 2013 Statement by the President of the Security
Council (S/PRST/2013/15) including
through facilitating the expansion of humanitarian relief operations, in
accordance with applicable provisions of international humanitarian law and the
UN guiding principles of humanitarian emergency assistance;
5. Calls upon
all parties to immediately lift the sieges of populated areas, including in the
Old City of Homs (Homs), Nubl and Zahra (Aleppo), Madamiyet Elsham (Rural
Damascus), Yarmouk (Damascus), Eastern Ghouta (Rural Damascus), Darayya (Rural
Damascus) and other locations, and demands that all parties allow the
delivery of humanitarian assistance, including medical assistance, cease
depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival, and
enable the rapid, safe and unhindered evacuation of all civilians who wish to
leave, and underscores the need for the parties to agree on
humanitarian pauses, days of tranquility, localized cease-fires and truces to
allow humanitarian agencies safe and unhindered access to all affected areas in
Syria, recalling that starvation of civilians as a method of combat is
prohibited by international humanitarian law;
6. Demands that
all parties, in particular the Syrian authorities, promptly allow rapid, safe
and unhindered humanitarian access for UN humanitarian agencies and their
implementing partners, including across conflict lines and across borders, in
order to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches people in need through the
most direct routes;
7. Urges all
parties, in particular the Syrian authorities, to take all appropriate steps to
facilitate the efforts of the United Nations, its specialized agencies, and all
humanitarian actors engaged in humanitarian relief activities, to provide
immediate humanitarian assistance to the affected people in Syria, including by
promptly facilitating safe and unhindered humanitarian access to populations in
need of assistance in all areas under their control,
and encourages further cooperation between the United Nations, its
specialized agencies and all parties concerned, including Syrian civil society organizations,
to facilitate access and the delivery of assistance in the entirety of the Syrian
territory;
8. Demands that
all parties respect the principle of medical neutrality and facilitate free
passage to all areas for medical personnel, equipment, transport and supplies,
including surgical items, and recalls that under international
humanitarian law, the wounded and sick must receive, to the fullest extent
practicable, and with the least possible delay, medical care and attention
required by their condition and that medical and humanitarian personnel,
facilities and transport must be respected and protected, and expresses
grave concern in this regard at the removal of medical supplies from
humanitarian shipments;
9. Also
demands that all parties take all appropriate steps to protect civilians,
including members of ethnic, religious and confessional communities,
and stresses that, in this regard, the primary responsibility to
protect its population lies with the Syrian authorities;
10. Further
demands that all parties demilitarize medical facilities, schools and
other civilian facilities and avoid establishing military positions in
populated areas and desist from attacks directed against civilian objects;
11. Strongly
condemns the arbitrary detention and torture of civilians in Syria,
notably in prisons and detention facilities, as well as the kidnappings,
abductions and forced disappearances, and demands the immediate end
of these practices and the release of all arbitrarily detained persons starting
with women and children, as well as sick, wounded and elderly people and including
UN personnel and journalists;
12. Urges all
parties to take all appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of
United Nations personnel, those of its specialized agencies, and all other
personnel engaged in humanitarian relief activities, without prejudice to their
freedom of movement and access, stresses that the primary
responsibility in this regard lies with the Syrian authorities and further
stresses the need not to impede these efforts;
13. Stresses the
need to end impunity for violations of international humanitarian law and
violations and abuses of human rights, and reaffirms that those who
have committed or are otherwise responsible for such violations and abuses in
Syria must be brought to justice;
14. Strongly
condemns the increased terrorist attacks resulting in numerous casualties
and destruction carried out by organizations and individuals associated with
Al-Qaeda, its affiliates and other terrorist groups, urges the
opposition groups to maintain their rejection of these organizations and
individuals which are responsible for serious violations of international
humanitarian law in opposition-held areas, calls upon the Syrian
authorities and opposition groups to commit to combating and defeating
organizations and individuals associated with Al-Qaeda, its affiliates and
other terrorist groups, demands that all foreign fighters immediately
withdraw from Syria, and reaffirms that terrorism in all its forms
and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international
peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and
unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by
whomsoever committed;
15. Emphasizes that
the humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate in the absence of a
political solution, welcomes in this regard the Geneva Conference on
Syria launched in Montreux on 22 January 2014, and demands that all
parties work towards the comprehensive implementation of the Geneva Communiqué
of 30 June 2012 leading to a genuine political transition that meets the
legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and enables them independently and
democratically to determine their own future, and further
stresses that rapid progress on a political solution should include full
participation by all groups and segments of Syrian society, including women,
and represents the only sustainable opportunity to resolve the situation in
Syria peacefully, and that the implementation of this resolution is key to
meeting the humanitarian needs of the Syrian people;
16. Urges all
Member States to contribute or increase their support to the United Nations’
humanitarian appeals to meet the spiraling needs of people affected by the
crisis, and to provide this support in coordination with the relevant United
Nations agencies, and to ensure that all pledges are honored in full,
and further urges all Member States, based on burden sharing
principles, to support the neighboring host countries to enable them to respond
to the growing humanitarian needs, including by providing direct support;
17. Requests the
Secretary-General to report to the Council on the implementation of this
resolution by all parties in Syria, in particular paragraphs 2 through 12, in
30 days of its adoption and every 30 days thereafter, and upon receipt of the
Secretary-General’s report, expresses its intent to take further
steps in the case of non-compliance with this resolution;
18. Decides to
remain actively seized of the matter.
