Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 September 2021
251. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the State plans to raise the issue of Syrian detainees who have suffered arbitrary and incommunicado detention and enforced disappearance by Syrian Government forces at the UN Security Council during its Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45848/21]
View answerThere is considerable evidence, including in the most recent report of the United Nation’s Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, that tens of thousands of people in Syria have been subject to arbitrary detention or forcible disappearance by government forces in Syria.
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 consistently advocated on behalf of the missing and detained in Syria and their families across various international fora including through co-sponsoring multiple resolutions at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Since taking a seat on the Security Council in January, Ireland has consistently condemned the practice of arbitrary detention and forced disappearance in our statements to Council. We have called for an immediate end to this practice, for the release of detainees, and for accountability for past crimes. We will continue to do so, including during our Presidency of the Council this September.
UN Security Council Resolution 2254 sets the framework for a comprehensive political solution to the Syria conflict, addressing the underlying causes of the conflict and calling for the release of arbitrarily detained persons. Ireland strongly supports UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen and I urge the Syrian government to engage fully with his efforts to find a lasting political solution within the framework set out in Resolution 2254.
