syria-un-20130315 2

A/RES/67/262 The situation in the Syrian Arab Republic 2/8 Organization called for the immediate implementation of the transitional plan and the development of a peaceful mechanism that would allow the building of a new Syrian State based on pluralism and a democratic and civilian system, where there would be equality on the basis of law, citizenship and fundamental freedoms, Expressing grave concern at the continuing escalation of violence in the Syrian Arab Republic, in particular the continued widespread and systematic gross violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including those involving the continued use of heavy weapons and aerial bombardments, such as the indiscriminate use of ballistic missiles and cluster munitions, by the Syrian authorities against the Syrian population, and the failure of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to protect its population, Expressing outrage at the rapidly increasing death toll of at least 70,000 casualties in the Syrian Arab Republic, as reported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 12 February 2013,7 Recalling the statements made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights before the Human Rights Council and the Security Council that crimes against humanity are likely to have been committed in the Syrian Arab Republic, stressing that the Syrian authorities have failed to prosecute such serious violations, and noting the repeated encouragement by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court, Welcoming the extension of the mandate of the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, and deeply regretting the lack of cooperation of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic with the commission, in particular the persistent denial of access of its members to the Syrian Arab Republic, Expressing concern at the occurrence of grave violations against children in the Syrian Arab Republic, that children were among the victims of military operations carried out by Government forces, including the Syrian armed forces, intelligence forces and shabbiha militias, and that children were victims of killing and maiming, arbitrary arrest, detention, torture, ill-treatment and sexual violence, and were used as human shields and recruited and used in the conduct of hostilities in violation of international law, welcoming the intent of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to pay a second visit to the region, demanding that all parties grant her full and unfettered access to all areas in the Syrian Arab Republic, and calling upon neighbouring countries to provide her with all necessary assistance, Expressing concern also at the vulnerable situation of women in the Syrian Arab Republic, including being subjected to discrimination, sexual and other physical abuse, violation of their privacy and arbitrary arrest and detention in raids, including to force their male relatives to surrender, recalling that such acts of sexual and gender-based violence could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, underlining the importance of preventing all sexual violence and violence based on gender, and welcoming the intent of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict to visit the Syrian Arab Republic to investigate these violations and abuses, _______________ 7 See S/PV.6917