Neasa Hourigan
Question:367. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the efforts being made to bring an end to the long-running conflict in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24926/20]
View answerTuesday, 22 September 2020
Questions (367)
Written answers
The situation in Syria continues to be one of utmost concern. Over 12 million Syrians remain in need of humanitarian assistance, while over 5 million Syrians are refugees, mainly in neighboring countries. The impact of Covid-19, and worsening economic conditions risks increasing vulnerability further.
This year, Ireland has provided €25 million in humanitarian assistance for the victims of the crisis. This brings the total provided since 2012 to over €168 million, Ireland’s largest ever response to a single crisis.
The roots of this humanitarian crisis lie in conflict, and the only way to bring lasting peace for the people of Syria is through a sustainable, Syrian-owned political process. Ireland has continually urged all parties to engage seriously with the UN facilitated process based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
Ireland and the EU fully support the extensive efforts of UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, in leading this process, and welcome his convening of a third meeting of the UN facilitated Constitutional Committee in Geneva.
A sustained peace in Syria will require respect for human rights, and strong human rights safeguards. Those responsible for violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law must be held accountable for their actions.
Ireland, through our engagement at the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, has strongly supported efforts to safeguard human rights in Syria. At the Human Rights Council on 22 June, Ireland co-sponsored a Resolution which condemned the use of arbitrary arrest, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances by the Syrian authorities, demanded the immediate release of all persons arbitrarily detained, and noted the importance of ensuring justice for all those detained.
Ireland and the EU have repeatedly condemned violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law perpetrated by the Syrian regime and other actors, some of which may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. Ireland has also supported the UN's International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, established to gather evidence of such crimes and facilitate accountability. As a member of the United Nations Security Council from 2021, we will continue to engage actively to facilitate the conditions for a sustainable political solution to the conflict.