The State of Qatar participated in the ministerial meeting on the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes in Syria, on pursuing comprehensive justice in the country. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The State of Qatar was represented at the meeting by HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi.
During the State of Qatar’s speech at the meeting, His Excellency said that this year is the 10th anniversary for the Syrian revolution. His Excellency said that the event has unfortunately led to disastrous results since then, with devastating loss of life and displacement of millions of Syrians, in addition to threats to regional and international peace and security. His Excellency added that it is clear this crisis will not be resolved through violence, but only through a political crisis with leadership by the United Nations in a way that achieves the rights of the Syrian people. His Excellency added that the State of Qatar keeps calling for a peaceful resolution to the crisis that leads to a political transition in line with the Geneva statement and UN Security Council resolution, including resolution no. 2254.
His Excellency highlighted that, in addition to being one of the leading countries in providing humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, Qatar has also committed itself to the legal and moral responsibility to address war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria, based on the country’s belief that ensuring accountability and addressing impunity is not only a moral obligation, but also a condition for reconciliation, sustainable peace and the prevention of the recurrence of crimes. His Excellency added that, in 2016, Qatar and Lichtenstein and other partners worked on establishing the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria, following a decision by the General Assembly.
His Excellency added that the State of Qatar welcomes the information reported recently, which states that the mechanism helped many judicial authorities put to trial those who committed crimes in Syria.
His Excellency said that the atrocities committed in Syria are some of the most documented of any conflict, and include the worst use of chemical weapons, killings, disappearances and arbitrary detention on a large scale and other patterns of violations and abuses. His Excellency stressed that all these violations necessitates the continuation of work with the mechanism with support from the international community, which includes providing the necessary financing to ensure its independence and credibility.
HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs highlighted that the State of Qatar offered a financial contribution worth $1 million. His Excellency also stressed that the State of Qatar will continue to support the mechanism, reiterating Qatar’s condemnation of the violence against civilians and severe violations of international law and international humanitarian law regardless of who commits them.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar