Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018
162. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps being taken at national, EU and international level to ensure that the perpetrators of war crimes in Syria are brought to justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24355/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe situation in Syria remains of grave concern. The conflict has cost the lives of well over 400,000 people, 13 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance, over 6 million people are displaced within Syria and an additional 5 million have fled to neighbouring countries and the wider region. There have been numerous brutal attacks on civilians by the Assad regime and others, including the use of medieval starve or surrender tactics, the use of chemical weapons and the deliberate targeting of medical facilities and personnel.
Ireland supports a broad range of efforts to ensure full legal accountability for all war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria as part of a sustainable peaceful resolution to the conflict and has consistently called for the situation in Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court. Ireland supports the work of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry established in August 2011 by the Human Rights Council to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law since March 2011 in Syria. Furthermore, in December 2016 Ireland and a group of like-minded countries successfully pressed for the adoption of a resolution by the UN General Assembly to establish an International Impartial and Independent Mechanism to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under international law committed in Syria. Last year my predecessor as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan T.D. announced a contribution of €100,000 to support the work of this mechanism. Further support for the work of the Mechanism in 2018 is currently under consideration.
Ireland is also a strong and consistent supporter of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) whose Fact Finding Mission (FFM) was set up in 2014 to “establish facts surrounding allegations of the use of toxic chemicals, reportedly chlorine, for hostile purposes in the Syrian Arab Republic”. We support their work financially with annual contributions amounting to nearly €1million since 2014. In addition, Ireland contributed €200,000 specifically to the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mission to eliminate chemical weapons in Syria.
Ireland deeply regrets Russia’s veto of the renewal of the mandate of this Joint Investigative Mission last October. It is extremely frustrating that the UN Security Council has not been able to take meaningful action to maintain peace and security in Syria and to ensure accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria. Those who have vetoed effective UN action in this regard bear a heavy responsibility.
Ireland is supporting an initiative to convene a Special Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention with a view to considering the introduction of a mechanism for attributing responsibility for the use of chemical weapons.
Ireland also supports EU sanctions targeting the regime and its supporters, and will continue to do so as long as repression continues. The sanctions currently in place include notably an oil embargo, restrictions on certain investments, a freeze of the assets of the Syrian central bank within the EU, export restrictions on equipment and technology that might be used for internal repression as well as on equipment and technology for monitoring or interception of internet or telephone communications. In addition, over 250 persons and almost 70 entities are targeted by a travel ban and an asset freeze over the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria. Most recently, in March, the Council added an additional 4 persons to the list of those targeted by EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime for their role in the development and use of chemical weapons against the civilian population. On 28 May 2018, the Council extended EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime until 1 June 2019. Given the ongoing repression of the civilian population, the EU decided to maintain its restrictive measures against the Syrian regime and its supporters, in line with the EU strategy on Syria.
Ireland has also supported calls for sanctions at UN level also and very much regrets that a draft UN Security Council resolution that would have established a sanctions regime, a committee and an expert panel to hold accountable those using and producing chemical weapons in Syria was not passed in February 2017. Ireland will continue to support all efforts to ensure a lasting peace and full accountability for war crimes in Syria, in the context of bringing peace and stability to the region.
