United Nations A/HRC/24/L.38 Distr.: Limited 24 September 2013 Original: English General Assembly ORAL REVISIONS Human Rights Council Twenty-fourth session Agenda item 4 Human rights situations that require the Council's attention Albania*, Australia*, Bahrain*, Belgium*, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Botswana, Canada*, Denmark*, Djibouti*, France*, Germany, Hungary*, Italy, Jordan*, Kuwait, Luxembourg*, Maldives, Montenegro, Morocco*, Norway*, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia*, Slovenia*, Spain, Turkey*, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland*, United States of America, Yemen*: draft resolution 24/... The continuing grave deterioration of the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic The Human Rights Council, Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, Reaffirming all previous Human Rights Council resolutions on the Syrian Arab Republic, Reaffirming also its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, Condemning the grave deterioration of the human rights situation and the indiscriminate or deliberate targeting of civilians as such, in violation of international humanitarian law, Condemning also the lack of cooperation of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic with the independent international commission of inquiry, Welcoming the efforts of the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States and expressing full support to find a negotiated political solution to the Syrian crisis, 1. Republic;1 Welcomes the report of the commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab iduddy 9/25/13 6:56 PM Deleted: for Syria * Non-member State of the Human Rights Council. 1 A/HRC/24/46. GE.13-17389 A/HRC/24/L.38 2. Demands that the Syrian authorities cooperate fully with the commission of inquiry, including by granting it immediate, full and unfettered access throughout the Syrian Arab Republic; 3. Strongly condemns the continued gross, systematic and widespread violations of human rights and all violations of international humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities and affiliated militias, as well as any human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law by armed opposition groups; 4. Stresses the need to ensure that those responsible for such violations and abuses are held to account, and encourages States to take steps to support and enable current and future accountability efforts; 5. Strongly condemns all massacres in the Syrian Arab Republic, including most recently the massacre in the Al Ghouta region, which caused appalling civilian casualties; 6. Also strongly condemns the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic, which is prohibited under international law, amounts to a serious crime and has a devastating impact on civilians; 7. Calls on all groups in the Syrian Arab Republic to refrain from retaliation and violence, including sexual violence, and urges all parties to the conflict to prevent violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations and abuses; 8. Deplores the deteriorating humanitarian situation, and urges the international community to provide urgent financial support to enable the host countries to respond to the growing humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees, while emphasizing the principle of burdensharing; 9. Demands that the Syrian authorities facilitate, and all other parties to the conflict do not hinder, the full, immediate and safe access of the United Nations and humanitarian actors, and calls upon all Member States to fully fund the United Nations appeals; 10. Decides to remain seized of the matter. 2