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Resolution 1902 (2012) Final version
The European response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria
1. Since the beginning of the conflict
in Syria, more than 2.5 million people have found themselves in
a perilous situation, suffering from lack of food, hygiene and essential
goods. Over 1.2 million people have been displaced within the country,
and more than 294 005 have taken refuge abroad in order to avoid
the shootings and bombardments and to save themselves from attacks
and acts of violence.
2. The situation is thus becoming more and more critical, since
each day brings further bloodbaths and acts of violence against
civilians, medical workers and the staff of humanitarian organisations.
3. The Parliamentary Assembly recalls its Resolution 1878 (2012) on the situation
in Syria. It regrets the dramatic deterioration of the conflict,
which has escalated into a fully fledged civil war, and its continuing grievous
threat to security and stability in the entire region, and in particular
the neighbouring countries.
4. In this context, the Assembly resolutely condemns all acts
of violence and the military operations whose victims have been
the civilian populations, many thousands of whom have lost their
lives. It particularly condemns the continuing, widespread, systematic
and gross human rights violations amounting to crimes against humanity
committed in Syria, 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.
5. The situation in the refugee camps in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan
and Iraq is also becoming dramatic owing to shortages of food and
hygiene products and a lack of housing. This is also the case in
certain areas of Syria itself. The approach of winter is further
aggravating the situation.
6. Indeed, for the last six months an upsurge in the number of
refugees, 75% of whom are women and children, has been noted in
the border regions as well as in certain member States (France,
Germany, Sweden, etc.).
7. The Assembly thanks the Turkish authorities, together with
Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, which are receiving these refugees, despite
the organisational and security problems associated with this task.
8. Unfortunately the reception capability of these countries
has very quickly been overwhelmed following the mass influx of refugees,
and the Assembly appeals to the solidarity of the international
community to make a generous and most urgent response to the calls
for funds to assist the refugees from Syria and the neighbouring
countries receiving them, as requested in the last revised plan
of the United Nations.
9. The Assembly considers that the international community’s
relative silence and inaction with regard to the influx of refugees
to neighbouring countries has lasted too long and that it is time
to react and take the measures necessary to ensure that the refugees
are provided with suitable reception facilities and that they are
given the opportunity to move back once the conflict has ended.
10. The Assembly is convinced that the problems posed 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. This
will only be possible through a political solution to the conflict.
For this purpose, it is essential that:
10.1. a common initiative of the international community emerge;
10.2. more voices among the ranks of the supporters of the regime
seriously consider the prospect of a political transition;
10.3. extremist and fundamentalist forces among the ranks of
the opposition are marginalised, and that the opposition realise
that a military solution is a mere delusion;
10.4. 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.
11. Accordingly, the Assembly asks the parties to the conflict
to:
11.1. as rapidly as possible
reach a ceasefire, a necessary precondition for any political solution,
and to that end avail themselves of the good offices of the international
mediator, Mr Lakhdar Brahimi;
11.2. allow the humanitarian organisations and the non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) to help displaced persons in Syria and accordingly
to abide by humanitarian law for the access of all humanitarian
workers;
11.3. ensure that those who have fled from their homes can benefit
from housing and adequate medical care;
11.4. permit the establishment of humanitarian corridors or
buffer zones to let convoys deliver whatever humanitarian aid is
necessary for the survival of the displaced population.
12. The Assembly recommends that the member States of the United
Nations Security Council:
12.1. take
measures to establish an air exclusion zone in order to prevent
bombing of the civilian population;
12.2. agree on a common initiative which will set the conditions
for a political solution to the conflict and generate the prospects
of peace.
13. The Assembly recommends that the Council of Europe member
States and the countries bordering Syria:
13.1. do not send asylum seekers back to Syria, in compliance
with the fundamental principle of non-refoulement,
and ensure that they are not turned back on arrival at their borders;
13.2. provide proper facilities for the reception of refugees
and provide them with all necessary assistance;
13.3. enable all asylum seekers to obtain international protection,
in the form of temporary, subsidiary or full refugee status under
the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees;
13.4. take the requisite measures to ease and shorten the procedures
for obtaining asylum;
13.5. ensure that appropriate assistance is provided to refugees
previously living in Syria seeking protection a second time, or
third country nationals having fled Syria looking to return to their
home countries;
13.6. lay down an action plan providing in particular for a
programme of resettlement operating from the host countries, possibly
enlisting the aid of the Council of Europe Development Bank;
13.7. ask the Governor of the Council of Europe Development
Bank to consider a donation from the Selective Trust Account aimed
at reinforcing the action of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) for the benefit of refugees from Syria;
13.8. 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 its bordering countries before
the onset of winter.
14. The Assembly also recommends that the member States of the
Council of Europe and Syria’s bordering countries, including Israel,
open all border crossings to refugees from Syria.
15. The Assembly reiterates that the possibility of eliminating
violence and embracing the change for which so many lives have been
sacrificed can be opened up to Syria only through a political solution.