syria-un-20170202 4

A/HRC/34/64 4 I. Introduction 1. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic submits the present report to the Human Rights Council pursuant to Council resolutions 31/17 and S-25/1. In its resolution S-25/1, the Council requested the Commission to, consistent with its mandate, conduct a comprehensive, independent special inquiry into the events in Aleppo, to, where possible, identify all those for whom there were reasonable grounds to believe that they were responsible for alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law.1 2. The Commission interpreted resolution S-25/1 as requiring it to investigate violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law allegedly committed in Aleppo city and its environs by all warring parties between 21 July and 22 December 2016. II. Methodology 3. The methodology employed by the Commission was based on best practices of commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions. 4. The present report was prepared on the basis of 291 interviews, including those conducted remotely with residents of Aleppo city and governorate, and interviews conducted in person in the region and in Geneva. 5. The Commission faced numerous challenges during its investigation. Owing to the siege, interviews with residents of eastern Aleppo city could rarely be conducted in person. Interviews conducted remotely were regularly disrupted by ongoing clashes and other issues, including lack of electricity, poor telephone and Internet connections, and protection concerns. 6. The Commission collected, reviewed and analysed satellite imagery, photographs, videos and medical records. Communications from Governments and non-governmental organizations, and United Nations reports formed an integral part of the investigation. 7. The standard of proof was met when the Commission obtained a reliable body of information to conclude that there are reasonable grounds to believe the incidents occurred as described, and that violations were committed by the warring party identified. III. Political context 8. The dramatic militarization of the conflict in Aleppo city since July 2016 has left an ever-limited space for political manoeuvring. The military considerations of warring parties and concerned States have superseded political initiatives aimed at reducing violence and providing humanitarian relief. Despite significant constraints, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, continued to press for initiatives to halt violence and to allow aid to reach eastern Aleppo. 1 The commissioners are Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro (Chair), Carla Del Ponte and Karen Koning AbuZayd. Commissioner Vitit Muntarbhorn resigned from the Commission in September 2016 to assume the mandate of Independent Expert against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity