Comprehensive action undertaken by the Security Council can immediately relieve the suffering of Syrians, prevent future atrocities, and lay the basis for a political transition to peace and democracy, Syrian National Coalition said.
In a letter sent to the Security Council, the Special Representative of the Syrian National Coalition to the United Nations, Dr. Najib Ghadbian, said that the Council must enforce resolutions 2118 and 2209, as well as authorize a "no-fly zone over parts of Syria." Syrian regime forces continue to use chemical weapons on civilians by dropping barrel bombs filled with toxic chlorine gas in residential areas, he said.
The regime and extremist terrorist groups have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, of which victims of those crimes deserve justice, he added.
Ghadbian stressed that an ICC referral would not only put an end to impunity, it would deter further atrocities by establishing clear consequences for deadly actions and a vehicle for accountability.
Nevertheless, the Syrian official noted in his letter, that despite the adoption of UNSC resolutions 2191 and 2165, some 640,200 Syrians remain trapped in besieged areas and millions more remain trapped across conflict lines. Members of the Security Council, he expressed, should demand the full implementation of the resolutions and called on UN agencies to upscale their assistance across Syria's border with Turkey and Jordan.
On March 31st, he said, the Third International Pledging Conference for Syria will take place in Kuwait city. Therefore, Ghadbian asked that members of the Security Council increase their commitments at this year's pledging conference to ensure that the UN meets its goal of raising USD 8.4 billion to help the people of Syria. "Doing so will help save lives," he concluded.