Qatar yesterday expressed its support to having the UN General Assembly hold an emergency session on Syria.
The session is held to discuss measures required to protect Syrian civilians in a manner that suits the gravity of the Syrian crisis and the threats it poses to the international community.
Qatar’s permanent representative to the United Nations, HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, during the General Assembly’s emergency session on Syria, said in a statement that holding the session quickly was a clear indication of the international community’s position regarding the protection of Syria civilians.
She added that the failure of the UN Security Council to stop violence against civilians had given the meeting more significance.
Sheikha Alya noted that there needed to be a reassessment of the use of veto in light of the Security Council’s failure in ending violence in Syria.
She highlighted the danger of the situation in Syria, saying that more people were being killed with every passing hour due to arbitrary attacks that used all kinds of weapons. The majority of the victims were either women or children, she added.
She also said that despite the international community’s rejection of the crimes of the Syrian regime, its failure to take the necessary measures had led to increasing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Council has said it will identify the perpetrators of war crimes in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo and launched a special inquiry into the use of starvation and air strikes there, as well as increased “terrorist” attacks.
Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, had earlier called for major powers to put aside their differences and refer the situation in eastern Aleppo to the International Criminal Court.
In a speech to a special session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, he said that the siege and bombing there constituted “crimes of historic proportions” that have caused heavy civilian casualties amounting to war crimes.
Zeid did not name Russia or the Syrian air force, whose jets have attacked the rebel-held districts of Aleppo for weeks, but his reference was clear.
“The violations and abuses suffered by people across the country, including the siege and bombardment of eastern Aleppo, are simply not tragedies; they also constitute crimes of historic proportions,” Zeid told the Geneva session.
Britain’s resolution to launch the inquiry was adopted by 24 states in favour with seven against, including Russia and China, and 16 abstentions. The investigation, to be conducted by an existing UN commission of inquiry on Syria led by Paulo Pinheiro, is to issue its findings by March.
John Fisher of Human Rights Watch said the “decisive action” had “sent a clear message that illegal attacks on civilians must end and that those responsible will be held to account”.
HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani addressing the UN meeting.
