The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry lauds today's UN General Assembly adoption of the resolution to establish an independent institution to clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria.
"This is a landmark resolution and a long-awaited step by the international community, finally coming to the aid of the families of all those who have been forcibly disappeared, abducted, tortured, and held in arbitrary and incommunicado detention over the past 12 years," Commission Chair Paulo Pinheiro said.
"They have been left alone in their search for their loved ones for too long," Pinheiro said, adding that "this institution is a humanitarian imperative and complements the efforts towards accountability."
"The Syrian Government and parties to the conflict have deliberately prolonged the suffering of the families by withholding information on the fate of the tens of thousands missing or disappeared," Commissioner Lynn Welchman said.
"The families searching for detained relatives are in constant danger of being arrested, extorted and abused," Welchman said. "The majority of the disappeared being men, the family heads leading the search are often women who experience discriminatory treatment and abuse based on their gender. These courageous women need all the support they can get from this new institution."
"Finally, the families and their supporters will be aided by an international body that can help clarify both the scale of the problem and the whereabouts of tens of thousands missing loved ones," Commissioner Hanny Megally said.
"Their expectation is that the best expertise, methodology, technology and adequate resources will be mobilised for this institution," Megally said, adding that "as well as helping the search, the new body is mandated to provide assistance, including much-needed psychosocial support, to the families and the survivors."
