Heading 1: UN General Assembly Votes to Establish Independent Institution to Investigate Missing Syrians
Heading 2: Families Desperately Seeking Answers for Missing Loved Ones
Heading 3: Lack of Coordination Leaves Families in Limbo
Heading 4: Push for Dedicated International Agency to Investigate Missing Persons
Heading 5: Resolution Sponsored by Over 50 Countries
Heading 6: New Institution Aims to Improve Situation for Syrian Families
Heading 7: Resolution Focuses on All Missing Syrians
Heading 8: Damascus Refuses to Engage with Efforts to Create Institution
Heading 9: Russia and Syria Criticize the Resolution
Heading 10: Resolution Seeks to Provide Answers and Support for Victims and Their Families
The UN General Assembly made a significant decision in response to the war in Syria by voting to establish an independent institution to investigate and clarify the fate of more than 150,000 Syrians who have gone missing or been forcibly disappeared since the conflict began. The resolution was introduced by Luxembourg’s permanent representative to the UN, Olivier Maes, who acknowledged the strength and courage of Syrian families desperately seeking answers about their missing loved ones.
Currently, various international organizations investigate and follow up on missing-persons cases in Syria. However, a lack of coordination among these organizations leaves families in limbo as they try to gather information about the whereabouts of their loved ones. Victims and survivors also struggle to find a platform to share any details they might have. This has led families to advocate for the establishment of a dedicated, independent, international agency that can effectively investigate the fate of missing individuals.
Guided by the views and advice of affected families, the UN secretary-general published a report last year supporting the creation of an international institution with a robust mandate to investigate and clarify the fate of missing individuals. The resolution was sponsored by more than 50 countries, including Albania, Australia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia, and Spain.
The new institution aims to reinforce complementarity and avoid duplication of efforts. It will serve as a single point of entry for collecting and comparing data, ensuring coordination and communication with all relevant actors and ongoing initiatives. Importantly, the resolution does not assign blame to any specific party but focuses solely on the humanitarian goal of improving the situation for Syrian families who do not know what has happened to their loved ones.
Representatives from the EU expressed hope that this new institution can contribute to healing the wounds of 12 years of conflict and play a crucial role in efforts towards reconciliation and sustainable peace. US ambassador Jeffrey De Laurentis emphasized that the resolution is humanitarian in nature and focuses on all missing Syrians, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation. He stressed the importance of delivering long-overdue answers to the victims and their families who deserve support.
However, Damascus has refused to engage with efforts to create the institution. Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Maria Zabolotskaya, criticized the resolution, claiming that it is a violation of the UN Charter and an instrument of pressure on Syria under the guise of humanitarian concerns. She argued that true cooperation with Damascus is necessary to solve the problem of missing persons and called for an end to foreign occupation of the country.
Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, Bassam Sabbagh, also criticized the resolution as politicized and targeting the Syrian Arab Republic. He accused certain Western states, particularly the United States, of pursuing a hostile approach towards Syria.
In conclusion, the establishment of an independent institution to investigate missing Syrians is a milestone decision in response to the war in Syria. The resolution aims to provide answers and support for victims and their families who have been desperately seeking information about their missing loved ones. While some countries have shown support for this initiative, others, including Syria and Russia, have criticized it as politically motivated. Nonetheless, the focus remains on the humanitarian goal of alleviating the suffering of the victims and their families.