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Committee Opinion | Doc. 13048 | 03 October 2012
The European response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria
Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy
A. Conclusions of the committee
(open)1. The Committee on Political
Affairs and Democracy congratulates the rapporteur of the Committee
on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, Mr Giacomo Santini,
for his fair, accurate and pertinent report on the European response
to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, following a request by that
committee and a decision by the Parliamentary Assembly to hold a
debate under urgent procedure.
2. It fully agrees that the international community’s silence
and inaction vis-à-vis the influx of refugees have lasted too long
and it is time to react to help the refugees live under decent conditions
and return home once the conflict has ended.
3. In this respect, the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy
wishes to highlight a few elements of analysis of the overall political
situation in Syria and reiterate some of the recommendations contained
in Resolution 1878 (2012) on the situation in Syria, adopted in April 2012 on
the basis of a report it presented to the Assembly under urgent
procedure. For the committee, the problems raised by the dramatic
situation of refugees and displaced persons in Syria and in neighbouring
countries can only be solved if there are prospects of peace. And
this will only be possible through a political solution to the conflict,
requiring, inter alia, the
emergence of a common initiative of the international community.
Only a political solution can open up to Syria the possibility of
eliminating violence and embracing the change for which so many
lives have been sacrificed.
4. For these reasons, the committee proposes the following amendments.
B. Proposed amendments
(open)Amendment A (to the draft resolution)
In paragraph 3, replace the words “the persistence of the crisis” with the following words:
“the dramatic deterioration of the conflict, which has escalated into a full-fledged civil war,”.
Amendment B (to the draft resolution)
In paragraph 4, replace the words “the acts” with the words “all acts”.
Amendment C (to the draft resolution)
At the end of paragraph 4, add the following text:
“It particularly condemns the continuing, widespread, systematic and gross human rights violations amounting to crimes against humanity committed by the Syrian military and security forces, such as summary executions, torture and sexual violence, including of and against children. The Assembly reiterates that all allegations of violations and crimes must be properly investigated and their perpetrators, whoever they may be, must be brought to justice, including, as appropriate, before the International Criminal Court.”
Amendment D (to the draft resolution)
In paragraph 5, at the end of the first sentence add the words: “, as it is in certain areas of Syria itself.”
Amendment E (to the draft resolution)
Delete paragraph 9.
Amendment F (to the draft resolution)
After paragraph 10, insert the following paragraph:
“The Assembly is convinced that the problems raised by the dramatic situation of refugees and displaced persons in Syria and in neighbouring countries can only be solved if there are prospects of peace. And this will only be possible through a political solution to the conflict. For this purpose, it is indispensable that:
– a common initiative of the international community emerges;
– more voices among the ranks of the supporters of the regime seriously consider the prospect of a political transition;
– extremist and fundamentalist forces among the ranks of the opposition are marginalised, and the opposition realises that a military solution is a mere delusion;
– more efforts are made to convince the Syrian democratic opposition to unify around a common political platform and leadership, in order to be ready for the political transition.”
Amendment G (to the draft resolution)
In paragraph 12, after the words “Security Council”, place the rest of the paragraph as a first sub-paragraph and add a second sub-paragraph which reads as follows:
“– agree on a common initiative which will set the conditions for a political solution to the conflict and generate the prospects of peace”.
Amendment H (to the draft resolution)
After paragraph 13.8, add the following sub-paragraph:
“recognise the urgent need to provide vital supplies, including food, clothing, medical aid and temporary shelter both to displaced persons in Syria and to Syrian refugees in bordering countries before the onset of winter.”
Amendment I (to the draft resolution)
After paragraph 14, add the following paragraph:
“The Assembly reiterates that the possibility of eliminating violence and embracing the change for which so many lives have been sacrificed can open up to Syria only through a political solution.”
C. Explanatory memorandum by Mr Marcenaro, rapporteur for opinion
(open)1. I congratulate the rapporteur
of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, Mr Santini,
for his fair, accurate and pertinent report on the European response
to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, following a request by that
committee and a decision by the Parliamentary Assembly to hold a
debate under urgent procedure.
2. For my part, I recall that, in April 2012, upon the request
of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, the Assembly
held a first debate under urgent procedure on the situation in Syria.
I was appointed rapporteur and presented a report which led to the
adoption of Resolution
1878 (2012).
3. In Resolution 1878
(2012), the Assembly firmly condemned “the widespread, systematic
and gross human rights violations amounting to crimes against humanity
committed by Syrian military and security forces such as: the use
of force against civilians, arbitrary executions, the killing and
persecution of protesters, enforced disappearances, torture and
sexual violence, including of and against children”. Reiterating
that there can be no impunity for those who committed crimes against
humanity whoever they may be, the Assembly asked for all allegations
of violations and crimes to be properly investigated and their perpetrators
brought to justice, “including, as appropriate, before the International
Criminal Court”. The Assembly asked for effective action by the
international community in a situation, the emergency and gravity
of which could not “accommodate individual countries’ geopolitical
considerations”. The Assembly expressed support for the six-point
peace plan proposed by the then joint envoy of the United Nations
and the League of Arab States, Mr Kofi Annan, stressing that it
should be given “every chance of success in order to avoid full-fledged
civil war”.
4. Regrettably, since last April, the situation in Syria has
seriously deteriorated and the spiral of violence has led to a full-fledged
civil war. The narrow opening obtained by the mandate given to Mr Kofi
Annan with a view to putting an end to the violence and initiating
a Syrian-led political process has been closed. The Syrian regime
has never accepted any serious negotiation process, whereas, within
the ranks of the opposition, which continues to be weak and fragmented,
the influence of those who have pursued the illusion of a military intervention
has had a negative effect. The resignation of Mr Annan at the beginning
of August 2012 symbolised the failure of the international community’s
initiative.
5. Thus, the courageous fight of a large part of Syrian society
against a dictatorship and their quest for freedom, dignity and
democracy still remains without a political solution.
6. Confronted with these developments, the international community
has been incapable of providing a common response and the Security
Council of the United Nations, which has the responsibility of stopping
such a destructive course of events, has continued to be paralysed
by divisions and blocked by the logic of veto(s). It is no surprise
that, against such a backdrop, extremist and irrational forces have
succeeded in prevailing upon and influencing the whole situation.
This has been the case both within the ranks of the regime and within those
of the opposition.
7. Just as Assad profits from the support and protection offered
by Russia and Iran to avoid a transition which could only lead to
his departure, a part of the opposition finds in countries such
as Saudi Arabia and Qatar support for the most radical and extremist
positions.
8. The violent degeneration of the conflict, and its escalation
into a civil war, which have been at the root of the growing phenomenon
of refugees and displaced persons, now make it extremely difficult
for the international agencies to play fully their role on the ground
and honour their commitments.
9. This is why I believe that the problems raised by the dramatic
situation of refugees and displaced persons in Syria and in neighbouring
countries, can ultimately only be solved if there are prospects
of peace. And this will only be possible through a political solution
to the conflict.
10. The emergence of a common initiative of the international
community is indispensable in this respect. It is essential to exercise
political pressure in this direction, thereby moving away from the
destructive spiral of violence of the last months.
11. It is also necessary that more voices among the ranks of the
supporters of the regime seriously consider the prospect of a political
transition; that extremist and fundamentalist forces within the
ranks of the opposition are marginalised; and that the opposition
realises that a military solution is a mere delusion.
12. To conclude, I am convinced that only a political solution
can open up to Syria the possibility of eliminating violence and
embracing the change for which so many lives have been sacrificed.