Today, Tuesday, the United Nations Human Rights Council has decided to extend the mandate of the International Commission of Inquiry into Syria for another year.
The Council requested the International Commission of Inquiry to provide an oral update to the Council during the interactive dialogue at its 53rd session and an updated written report during the interactive dialogue at its 54th and 55th sessions.
While the resolution was adopted with 26 votes, 16 countries including Morocco, Sudan and UAE abstained, while five countries including Algeria, China, Bolivia, Cuba and Eritrea voted against the resolution.
The Human Rights Committee recommended that all reports and oral updates submitted by the International Commission of Inquiry continue to be referred to all relevant United Nations bodies, in addition to submitting all reports to the Security Council for appropriate action to be taken.
The Human Rights Council also welcomed the steps regarding international accountability, emphasizing the importance of hearing cases similar to those in the “Koblenz” court in Germany, where an officer of the Syrian regime intelligence was tried.
The Council stressed its support for the establishment of an international mechanism to ascertain the fate of the disappeared and urged the various parties to the conflict to cooperate in establishing the mechanism and releasing all detainees and enforced disappearances.
It is noteworthy that the report addresses a number of humanitarian issues related to Syria, including the issue of cross-border aid distribution, as it urges all interested parties to work to increase aid access to those in need in various regions.
