Syria has taken in a fresh United Nations resolution calling for probes into human rights abuses carried out amid its 13-year civil war, a new trend for the country toward accountability and reform. The resolution was approved unanimously at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Friday, marking increasing international backing for Syria’s transitional government.
The decision calls on the newly elected Syrian government to support continuing investigations into war crimes and human rights violations since the conflict started in 2011 under previous President Bashar al-Assad. The war, which cost hundreds of thousands of lives, involved large-scale torture, chemical weapons use, and large-scale disappearances.
Syria’s representative to the UN in Geneva, Haydar Ali Ahmad, complimented the resolution as a “strong incentive” to proceed with reforms under new leadership. The capital, Damascus, was overthrown by President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rebels in December, prompting Assad to retreat to Russia and terminate his rule through dictatorship.
Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani highlighted Syria’s positive contribution to the writing of the resolution. “We are proud of Syria’s constructive and positive contribution to writing the resolution for the first time,” he said in a tweet on X.
Members of the Council welcomed Syria’s participation and underlined the necessity of adhering to the terms of the resolution, including collaborating with the Commission of Inquiry that is responsible for documenting serious war crimes.
British Ambassador to the UN, Simon Manley, mentioned the recent slaughter of hundreds of Alawite civilians members of Assad’s sect as a “chilling reminder of the deep wounds” of the conflict and an appeal for justice.
The resolution comes as a decisive move in Syria’s attempt to regain its international credibility and to open a new course towards national reconciliation.
