Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres
President of the UN Human Rights Council, Coly SECK
High Commissioner of Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet Jeria Commissioners of UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria (COI), Mr. Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Ms. Karen Koning AbuZayd, and Mr. Hanny Megally
Head of the International Impartial Independent Mechanism (IIIM) on the in Investigating War Crimes in Syria, Catherine Marchi-Uhel.
Since 2011, humanitarian teams in Syria have been subjected to relentless violations: forced disappearance, killing, torture, and bombing of the facility they work in with all kinds of weapons. Also, several reports mentioned using chemical weapons against humanitarian facilities.
Bombing hospitals, schools and humanitarian institutions, which began as a policy of collective punishment, and continued during the past years, had multiplied into a systematic policy, and turned into a war tactics the Syrian regime is using widely to weaken those communities and to deprive civilians from of the basic services in order to displace them and to double effects of the humanitarian catastrophe to an extent that we, the humanitarian organizations, became unable, with whatever we have and with what we can do, to respond to it. Attacks on health facilities increased from 2011 until this day 570, and medical teams lost more than 800 victims of the systematic bombing on health facilities, which the Syrian regime and its allies bear the responsibility of most of these violations according to the reports of international investigation bodies.
Under ordinary circumstances, none of us would choose to remain in community with no medical center to vaccinate our children, no school to teach them, and no water station to supply our families with this basic necessity. Syrian people have been forced to accept and adapt to these inhuman circumstances, but their capacity to cope has reached unbearable limits, even as essential infrastructure continues to be bombed. The latest escalation perpetrated by the Syrian Government and its allies in northwest Syria witnessed unprecedented levels of this tactics as included 38 attacks on health facilities, 45 attacks on schools, in addition to destroying 9 water stations, and many other violations.
Many NGOs have participated in the UNOCHA-led DE confliction mechanism of humanitarian facilities and still hope this mechanism will help put an end these attacks, or at least to help seek justice in the long-run. but these facilities were also targeted, like all other facilities. The little number of de-conflicted targeted facilities is attributed to the limited participation of these organizations in this mechanism, not because they are excluded from targeting. We still firmly believe that the mechanism can and must contribute to the documentation of these crimes, a primary step on the long road to achieve justice and to publicize facts about the conduct of parties to the conflict in Syria.
The various investigative mechanisms of the UN should work together, and leverage more effectively to increase pressure on the conflicting parties and change the calculus that underpins the logic of the attacks and to stop these crimes immediately. Reports issued by COI would been more influential if they are released more quickly – within days or even weeks after each attack, opposed to half a year later, when the facts on the ground cannot be so readily – publically – linked to the incidents in the report. .
Internal United Nations Headquarters Board of Inquiry to investigate a series of incidents that have occurred in northwest Syria, and we the NGOs signing this letter remain committed to sharing all needed information on incidents and events to be fully communicated to investigators.
We, a group of NGOs ask you to implement the following:
- The COI, and the IIIM, and the new UN Board of Inquiry should appoint full time experts, based in southern Turkey, in order to facilitate faster investigations, and more regular contact with humanitarian actors. , and to start their investigations once they are informed of attacks on humanitarian facilities, so that they can fulfil results of their investigations, as quickly as possible, without waiting for regular reports.
- UNOCHA should provide the investigators of the UN Board of Inquiry, COI and IIIM with full access to the information of the humanitarian de-confliction mechanism.
- The Secretary-General of the UN should instruct all the agencies and programs of the UN from UNOSAT of UNTAR, and SSA of WHO and MRM of UNICEF to similarly provide investigators with full access to information related to the bombardment of humanitarian facilities and to supply them with all the support and assistance they need to facilitate their investigations.
- The UN Secretary-General to ensure that the Security Council receives the results of these investigations in a timely manner so that it can take the necessary steps, as quickly as possible and in time before we lose these facilities and those who work in them.
Our expectations, as NGOs, from an international effort to save our colleagues, the heroes who are still working in Syria, from systematic targeting, achieving justice and punishing the criminals, are very low, but we still have hope that the truth is an important tool, therefore we should avail every effort to use it to save humanitarian activists in Syria. We hope that the establishment of the UN board of inquiry will not take long time, and in the meantime the existing investigation bodies should not exclude those incidents from their investigations. The NGOs amongst us who share information into the de confliction mechanism, and who share incident reporting into the UN system expect and request that this information be used to promote investigation into, and accountability for, the crimes that are being committed.
Respectfully,
The Signatories (Coordination Bodies)
- تحالف المنظمات السورية غير الحكومية | Syrian NGO Alliance (SNA)
- اتحاد منظمات المجتمع المدني السوري | Union of Syrian Civil Society Organizations USCSO
- الاتحاد السوري العام | General Syrian Union
- منبر الجمعيات السورية | Syrian NGO Platform
- شبكة المرأة السورية الانسانية | Syrian Women Humanitarian network
- شبكة وطن | Watan Network
- تحالف منظمات المجتمع المدني السوري (شمل) | Syrian CSOs Coalition
- منتدى المنظمات العاملة في شمال غرب سوريا | North-West Syria NGO Forum
The Signatories (NGOs)
- جمعية نور الخيرية | Nor Alkhair Charity
- جمعية غراس الخير الإنسانية | Ghiras Alkhaeer Humanitarian
- ملتقى البيت الدمشقي | Damascene House
- رابطة أهل حوران | Ahl Horan Association
- رابطة حمص في المهجر | Homs League
- منظمة أفكار | Afkar
- منظمة قدرة | Kudrah
- الرابطة الطبية للمغتربين السوريين | Youth for Syria
- المؤسسة الدولية لدعم المرأة | International Supporting Woman Association
- جمعية عطاء للإغاثة الإنسانية | Ataa Humanitarian Relief Association
- جمعية الوفاء للإغاثة والتنمية | Alwafa Association for Relief and Development
- منظمة أبرار للإغاثة والتنمية | Abrar Organization
- رحمة بلا حدود | Mercy Without Limits
- جنى وطن | Jana Watan
- منظمة زدني علما | D. Organization
- مؤسسة بذور الأمل | seeds of hope
- جمعية الأيادي البيضاء | BEYAZ ELLER YARDIMLAŞMA DERNEĞI
- مؤسسة رحمة الإنسانية | RAHMA humanitarian foundation
- جمعية سنا للأعمال التعليمية والإنسانية | Sana Association for Educational and Humanitarian Works
- بصمات من أجل التنمية | Basamat for Development
- مؤسسة عدالة للإغاثة والتنمية | adaleh foundatoin for relief and development
- هيئة الإغاثة الإنسانية الدولية | International Humanitarian Relief
- جمعية تكافل الخيرية | Takaful Charity
- الشام للأيتام | Alsham Association
- بركة الإنسانية | Baraka Humanitarian
- همة | Himma Youth Organization
- مساحة سلام | Space of Peace
- منظمة البشائر | Albashaer Humanity Organization
- منظمة البنيان المرصوص الإنسانية | Albonian Almrsos Humanitarian Organization
- المهندسين السوريين للإعمار والتنمية | Syrian Engineers for Construction and Development
- جمعية الأمل لمكافحة السرطان | Alaml Association For Cancer
- تجمع احساس الاغاثي | Ehsas Relief Agency
- جمعية البر | Alberr Association
- منظمة انسان الخيرية | Insan Organization
- منظمة البشائر الانسانية | Albashaer Humanity Organization
- منظمة شفق النور | Shafak Association Organization
- كلنا سوا | All Together
- جمعية أرزاق | Arzaq Humanitarian Foundation
- منظمة الرعاية الانسانية | Health Care Organization
- منظمة سداد الإنسانية | Sadad Humanitarian Organization
- منظمة معا لأجل الخير | All for Charity
- جمعية لا تحزن الخيرية | La Tahzan Charity
- ملتقى البيت الحلبي | Multaqa Albeat Alhalaby
- مؤسسة الحميدي الخيرية | Hmedi charity
- هيئة التعليم الطبي | Medical Education Council
- العدالة والمساعدة الانسانية | Adalah Foundation for Relief and Development
- سابق للأعمال الخيرية والتنموية | Sabeq Foundation for Charity and Development
- مؤسسة إعادة الأمل | Restore Hope Foundation
- جمعية الرعاية والمساعدة الإنسانية | Insan Care
- منظمة عبيدة | Obaıda Charıty
- منظمة سوار | Sewar
- منظمة اليمان | Alyaman
- مؤسسة رحمة حول العالم للإغاثة والتنمية | Rahma Worldwide – Aid and Development
- أطفال عالم واحد | Children of One World
- اتحاد منظمات الإغاثة والرعاية الطبية | Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations USSOM
- مؤسسة الرعاية الانسانية والتنمية – مسرات | MASRRAT Establishment For Human Care and Development
- إحسان للإغاثة والتنمية | Ihsan Relief and Development
- غراس النهضة | Ghiras Al-Nahda
- مؤسسة الشام الإنسانية | Al Sham Humanitarian Foundation
- جمعية سوريا الاغاثية | Syria Relief – Turkey
- أطباء عبر القارات – تركيا | Physicians Across Continents – Turkey
- المؤسسة الدولية للتنمية الاجتماعية | Social Development International
- مؤسسة بناء للتنمية | BINAA Organization for Development
- تكافل الشام الخيرية | Takaful Al-Sham Charity
- سوريا للإغاثة والتنمية | Syria Relief and Development SRD
- مؤسسة سكن للرعاية والتنمية | SKT organization
- منظمة بنفسج للإغاثة والتنمية | Violet Organization for Relief and Development
- يدا بيد للإغاثة والتنمية | Hand in Hand for Aid and Development
- مؤسسة القلب الكبير | Big Heart Foundation
- الرابطة الطبية للمغتربين السوريين | Syrian Expatriate Medical Association SEMA
- الجمعية الطبية السورية الأمريكية | Syrian American Medical Society SAMS
- منظمة اورنج | Orange Organisation
- منظمة شفق | Shafak Organization
- هيئة الإغاثة الإنسانية | Humanitarian Relief Association – IYD
- جمعية النور السورية | Syrian Light Society
- زيد بن ثابت الاهلية | Zaid bin Thabit National
- رابطة اهل حوران | Ahl Horan Association
- منظمة بنيان | Bonyan Organization
- جمعية الشام لرعاية الأيتام | Al – Sham Association for Orphans Care
- زدني علما | Give Me A Note
- شام حياة | Sham Life
- اعمار الشام الانسانية | Emaar Al Sham Human
- جمعية معا | Together Association
- شام شريف | Sham Sherif
- جمعية ابن النفيس الانسانية | Ibn al – Nafees Human Society
- سيفيل كير | CIVIL CARE
- الجمعية السورية للدعم والتنمية الانسانية | Syrian Association for Support and Human Development – INSURYA
- جمعية التأخي الخيرية | Association of Brotherhood Group
- شفق شام الخيرية | Shafak Cham Charity
- غراس الخير الانسانية | Grass of Human Goodness
- جمعية لانك انسان | Association for a Human Being
- هيئة الإغاثة الإنسانية الدولية | International Humanitarian Relief Agency IHR
- جمعية المعرفة للتنمية والتعليم | Knowledge Society for Development and Education
- معا لأجل الخير | We are All for the Good Association
- تنمية انسان | Human Development
- جمعية همة | Hema Association
- جمعية اعمار لإعادة البناء | IMAAR Reconstruction Organization
- جمعية حياة للأعمال الخيرية والانسانية | Hayat Association for Charity and Human
- منظمة مسك | Mask Organization
- جمعية الحياة الإنسانية | ALHAYAT İNSANİ YARDIMLAŞMA DERNEĞİ
- جمعية الحياة للخدمات الإنسانية | Al-Hayat Humanity
- مؤسسة جودي للتنمية | Cudi Development Foundation
- الخوذ البيضاء | The White Helmets
- منظمة إيلاف للإغاثة والتنمية | Elaf for Relief and Development
- فسحة أمل | Space of Hope
- جمعية زنوبيا للمرأة السورية | Zanobıa For Syrıan Women
- ياسمين الحرية | Jasmıne Of Freedom
- مزن للإغاثة و التنمية | Muzun For Humanitarian and Development
- مدنيون للعدالة والسلام | Civilians for Justice and Peace
- منظمة كريمات | Kareemat
- رابطة المرأة السورية | Syrian Woman Association
- منظمة التنمية المحلية | Local Development and Small-Projects Support (LDSPS)
- منظمة القبعات البيضاء للتنمية المستدامة | White Hats Organisation for Sustainable Development
- الهيئة العامة للمرأة السورية في حماه وريفها
- طريق السلام | Peace Road
- كش ملك | Kesh Malek Organization
- اليوم التالي | The Day After (TDA)
- مؤسسة دعم المرأة | Woman Support Association (KADIN DESTEK DERNEĞİ)
- غصن زيتون للتعليم والثقافة | Olive branch for Education and Culture
- البوصلة للتدريب والإبداع | Bousla for Training & Innovation
- منظمة بهار | Bahar Organization
- الشبكة السورية لحقوق الإنسان | Syrian Network for Human Rights
- اورينت | Orient for Human Relief
- العدالة من أجل الحياة | Justice for Life
- سوريون من أجل الحقيقة والعدالة | Syrians for Truth and Justice-STJ
- محامون وأطباء من اجل حقوق الانسان | Lawyers and Doctors for Human rights
- شبكة حراس | Hurras Network
- السراج للتنمية والرعاية الصحية / السويد | Alseeraj for Development and healthcare/Sweden
- منظمة الاطباء المستقلين | Independent Doctors Association
- البرنامج السوري للتطوير القانوني | The Syrian Legal Development Programme
- المركز السوري للإعلام وحرية التعبير | Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression
- مركز توثيق الانتهاكات في سوريا | Violation Documentation Center in Syria
- منسقو استجابة سوريا | Response Coordination Group (RCG)
- منظمة توتول | Totol Foundation
- جمعية أصدقاء الشعب السوري | Friends of the Syrian People e.V.
- Stand with Syria Japan – SSJ