Al Arabiya, 27 Nov 2012 – The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday will reiterate its call for peace and security for Syrian civilians in the crisis-torn country, voicing stronger concern with “gross human rights violations,” according to a draft obtained by Al Arabiya.

The resolution to be discussed later on Thursday expresses “the urgent need to achieve a cessation of violence and prevent its further escalation and spread.”

More than 40,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad broke out in March last year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists, doctors and lawyers for its data.

The General Assembly is to voice its condemnation at the “continued widespread and systematic gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities and the government-controlled ‘Shabiha’ militia,” the draft read.

These violations include: The use of heavy weapons, aerial bombardments and force against civilians, massacres, arbitrary executions, enforced disappearances, interference with access to medical treatment, torture, sexual violence and ill-treatment, including against children, as well as any human rights abuses by armed opposition.

After countless speeches, meetings and behind-the-scenes discussions, the war in Syria remained the unsolved problem that loomed over this year’s gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in October.

The lack of progress on Syria has undermined the U.N.’s credibility, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said in a press conference last month.

“I recognize that we here in the United Nations have to prove that we can present international solutions that work – that’s the big issue,” he said. “And of course I will admit openly that the fact that the Syria tragedy goes on day after day is very damaging for the standing of the United Nations.”
General Assembly draft
The following are exerts of the General Assembly resolution, obtained by Al Arabiya, to be discussed in the 3rd Committee on Tuesday:

Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, France,
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America: draft resolution

The General Assembly,

Calls upon the Syrian authorities to immediately put an end to all human rights violations and attacks against civilians, to protect the population and to fully comply with their obligations under applicable international law, and calls upon all parties to put an end to all forms of violence;

Urges the Syrian authorities to release immediately all persons arbitrarily detained, including the members of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression, to publish a list of all detention facilities, to ensure that conditions of detention comply with applicable international law and to immediately allow access of independent monitors to all detention facilities;

Stresses its support for the aspirations of the Syrian people for a peaceful, democratic and pluralistic society, in which there is no room for sectarianism or discrimination on ethnic, religious, linguistic or any other grounds, based on the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

Welcomes the report of the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, 8 submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 19/22, and the recommendations contained therein;

Regrets the continued non-cooperation of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic with the commission of inquiry;
__________________
7 Security Council resolution 2042 (2012), annex.
8 A/HRC/21/50.
A/C.3/67/L.52
4 12-58482

Demands that the Syrian authorities provide the commission of inquiry and individuals working on its behalf immediate, full and unfettered entry and access to all areas of the Syrian Arab Republic, and demands also that all parties cooperate fully with the commission of inquiry in the performance of its mandate;

Encourages the relevant United Nations bodies to invite the chair of the commission of inquiry to brief them on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic;

Stresses the importance of ensuring accountability and the need to end impunity and hold to account those responsible for human rights violations, including those violations that may amount to crimes against humanity;

Also stresses the need to follow up on the report of the commission of inquiry and to conduct an international, transparent, independent and prompt investigation into abuses and violations of international law, with a view to holding to account those responsible for violations and abuses, including those that may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes, and encourages members of the international community to ensure that there is no impunity for such violations or abuses;

Further stresses the important role that international justice could play in this regard;

Calls upon the Syrian authorities to immediately and fully implement the agreed humanitarian response plan, including by granting immediate, safe, full and unimpeded access of humanitarian personnel to all populations in need of assistance, in particular to civilian populations in need of evacuation, as well as safe, full and unimpeded access for affected civilians to humanitarian assistance and services, and also calls upon all parties in the Syrian Arab Republic, in particular the Syrian authorities, to cooperate fully with the United Nations and relevant humanitarian organizations to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance;

Urges the international community to provide urgent financial support to the host countries to enable them to respond to the growing humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees, while emphasizing the principle of burden-sharing;

Urges all donors to provide expeditiously financial support to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and international humanitarian organizations, as requested in the humanitarian appeals issued by the United Nations system and the host countries, so that they can implement more actively the humanitarian response plan inside the country;

Invites Member States to provide all support to the Syrian people, and encourages Member States to contribute to the United Nations humanitarian response efforts.