Thank you, Madam Vice President.
We regret that due to timetabling problems, the Commissioners could not be here this morning. If they had been, I would have thanked them for their latest report, which clearly highlights the horrific violations and abuses Syrians continue to endure.
Of all the horrors of this conflict, one of the greatest tragedies is of those forcibly detained and missing. As the Commissioners report, over 100,000 Syrians remain missing yet Syrian authorities continue to obstruct families’ efforts to find their loved ones.
The UK firmly supports families, survivors and victims in their quest for the truth. So, we commend efforts to operationalise the Independent Institution on Missing Persons and call for the swift appointment of its Assistant Secretary-General, so that it can help clarify the fate of those missing Syrians and support their long-suffering families.
The Assad regime must address the issue of the missing and cease arbitrary detention. The Syrian people need assurances on their safety and security, if they are ever to return home.
This Council must not, will not, turn its back on the Syrian people, and those responsible for the abuses and violations of human rights must, will be held to account.
