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Secretary-General's remarks to the General Assembly on Syria New York. 3 August 2012 Eight days ago, I visited Srebrenica, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Srebrenica represents one of the darkest chapters in this organization’s history, a time when the international community failed to protect civilians from slaughter. Partly in reaction to genocide in Srebrenica and in Rwanda, world leaders came together under the United Nations to support the concept of responsibility to protect. Governments renewed their commitment to protect their populations, including particularly vulnerable communities, and leaders agreed to work collectively when faced with governments unable or unwilling to protect their citizens. Today, we are all witnesses to the horrors of Syria being ripped apart by violence. I thank the President of the General Assembly for organising this important session. As we meet here, Aleppo, one of the most ancient and storied cities in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the epicentre of a vicious battle between the Syrian government and those who wish to replace it. The acts of brutality that are being reported may constitute crimes against humanity or war crimes. Such acts must be investigated and the perpetrators held to account. Many thousands of Syrians have been displaced by, and are at risk from, the fighting. Many desperately need humanitarian assistance. Despite repeated verbal acceptances of the Six-Point Plan endorsed by the UN Security Council, both the government and the opposition continue to rely on weapons, not diplomacy, in the belief that they will win through violence. But there are no winners in Aleppo today, nor anywhere else in the country. The losers in this escalating battle are the people of Syria. What is especially tragic about Syria is that this catastrophe was avoidable. Nearly 18 months ago, knowledgeable observers predicted that, if the Syrian government responded to peaceful demonstrations with brutal force, including mass round-ups and torture – as it in fact did – then demonstrations would increasingly turn violent. They also predicted that the unchecked spread of violence would lead to a rise of radicalization, extremism and terrorism