Human RightsSyria

Syrian Delegation Walks out from UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva Describing its Discussions as Futile

The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva held an emergency session on the situation in Syria on Tuesday, with Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Fayssal Al-Hamwi, beginning by voicing Syria’s denouncement of holding this session in a manner contradicting procedural rules and showing blatant manipulation of the Council.

Al-Hamwi wondered why the session ignored Article 4 of its agenda which is dedicated to discussing the state of human rights in Syria, asking if the purpose of this session is to slander and politicize the situation of human rights.

He also questioned the decision to work behind the scenes and avoiding a direct dialogue with Syria in the same manner the Red Cross did, which resulted in providing humanitarian aid to several areas and helped evacuate civilians from them.

“We’re convinced that the true goal of holding today’s session is covering up the violence and murder committed by armed terrorist groups against innocent civilians which were clearly mentioned by Agence France-Presse on February 25,” he said, acknowledging that the services provided by the government suffered setbacks due to the presence of armed groups in some areas, adding that armed groups attacked 18 hospitals, 48 health centers and 129 ambulances as of February 9th, 2012.

He also pointed out to the negative effects of unilateral and unjust economic sanctions imposed by some countries against the Syria people, hindering the procurement of medicine, vaccine, food and fuel and hindering banking transactions used to purchase these materials.

”Unilateral economic sanctions are the ugliest violations of human rights, because they target foremost civilian populations including children, women and the elderly,” said al-Hamwi.

He said that the concepts of humanitarian intervention and protecting civilians have been distorted recently, using them to justify military intervention, topple governments and destroy infrastructures.

Al-Hamwi asserted that the call to hold a session about humanitarian condition in Syria is but part of a premeditated scheme as to strike at the Syrian State and its institutions under the pretext of humanitarian needs.

He added that those who called for the meeting didn’t even wait for discussions of the independent international investigations committee, which included no hint to the deterioration of humanitarian condition in Syria.

He also underscored that the report of the said committee acknowledged the painful and catastrophic consequences of the economic sanctions imposed on the Syria People and that he who claims to be a friend for People should never impose hard and illegitimate sanctions on the people.

Al-Hamwi said to those who claim to be friends of the Syrian people to help them by immediately ceasing mobilization, sectarian instigation, media lies, supplying weapons and funds to armed groups, and turning the Syrians against each other.

He pointed out that the Council has been transformed into a tool in the hands of some countries, asserting that the real objective of the council out-of-procedure session is to inflame the fire of terrorism and prolong the crisis through message of support by the Council to the armed groups in Syria.

“The delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic announces non-acknowledgement of the legitimacy of this session,” said Al-Hamwi, declaring Syria’s rejection of whatever illegitimate biased and malicious resolutions to be taken.

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