December 1, 2016…As the fall of Aleppo looms amid untold humanitarian catastrophe, over 220 civil society organizations from 45 countries, including over 25 from the UK, have issued a declaration saying that the UN Security Council has “failed to uphold its responsibility to protect the Syrian people”. Signatories to the declaration, including Amnesty International, Asia Forum for Human Rights and Development, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, Pan-African Lawyers Union and Save the Children, have also demanded that UN Member States take urgent and meaningful action to stop the atrocities and protect civilians.
“Aleppo is on the brink of becoming another Rwanda or Srebrenica,” said Dr Simon Adams, Executive Director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. “We are witnessing yet another moment of global inaction in the face of human annihilation. Given the shameful deadlock in the Security Council, members states in the General Assembly must act within their power and demand an immediate end to attacks on civilians and accountability for the perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria.”
While the UN Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the UN General Assembly also has responsibilities in that regard under the UN Charter. A “Uniting for Peace” procedure adopted by the General Assembly in 1950 allows the General Assembly to recommend collective action when the UN Security Council fails to uphold its responsibility because of lack of unanimity of the permanent members.
Dr. Ahmad Tarakji, President of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said, “It is important to face down the worst of humanity, look it straight in the eyes and refuse to blink. But we are closing our eyes to what is happening in Aleppo. If we are to not act now in the face of such depravity and disregard for basic norms – when will we ever?”
The civil society declaration coincides with new research by Human Rights Watch which shows that war crimes were committed in Aleppo during the Russian-backed Syrian campaign in September and October 2016, with at least 440 civilians killed including 90 children.
“The situation unfolding in Aleppo is the ultimate test of the international system,” said Eduarda Hamann, Coordinator of the Building Peace program at the Igarapé Institute in Brazil. “The community of nations cannot stand by while tens of thousands of Syrians are violently forced to evacuate their homes. Member states of the UN should urgently come together to invoke the Uniting for Peace protocol to break the Security Council impasse and stop the horrors of Aleppo.”
ENDS
The Civil Society declaration and full list of signatory organizations can be found here.
Notes to the editor:
Signatory organizations & spokespeople
* 223 organisations from 45 countries and 5 continents have signed the civil society declaration
* Over 20 organisations based in the UK signed the statement, including Action Aid International, Amnesty International, the International Rescue Committee, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam International, Save the Children and World Vision.
* Signing organisations from other countries include Asia Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Brazilian Association of NGOs(ABONG), Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, Pan-African Lawyers Union and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).
* 65 Syrian organizations are among the signatories including 48 members of the Syria Relief Network, an umbrella organization of Syrian humanitarian NGOs working inside Syria and neighbouring countries to provide relief to Syrians in need of assistance.
* Spokespeople from the signing organizations are available for comment, including. Please contact pb@crisisaction.org if you would like to be put in touch.
UN General Assembly
* Under the resolution377A(V), “Uniting for peace”, adopted by the General Assembly on 3 November 1950, an “emergency special session” can be convened within 24 hours
* Resolution 377 (V) states that if the Security Council, because of the “lack of unanimity of the permanent members, fails to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security,” the General Assembly can consider the matter with a view to making appropriate recommendations to Members for collective measures. Uniting for Peace is not just for recommending the use of armed force but for any steps related to the maintenance of international peace and security
* The UN Security Council could refer Syria to the UN General Assembly under the Uniting for Peace procedure, through a procedural vote which could not be vetoed by any of the P5, requiring only nine affirmative votes. Alternatively, a simple majority of UN member States could instigate an emergency special session of the General Assembly. A Uniting for Peace resolution would require a two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly as it would be considered an important question regarding international peace and security.
* Further resources: Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly – Emergency Special Sessions ; Security Council Report’s Abridged History on UN Security Council Deadlocks and Uniting for Peace
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