Security Council resolution 2393 (2017) [on humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic and renewal of authorization of relief delivery and monitoring mechanism until 10 Jan. 2019]
Symbol: S/RES/2393 (2017)
Date: 2017-12-19
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/72 [222] SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC SITUATION
Subjects: HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMED CONFLICTS|HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE|RELIEF CORRIDORS|SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
Votes in favour: 12
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 3
Voting record:
country: BOLIVIA (PLURINATIONAL STATE OF)
vote: abstention
country: CHINA
vote: abstention
country: EGYPT
vote: yes
country: ETHIOPIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: ITALY
vote: yes
country: JAPAN
vote: yes
country: KAZAKHSTAN
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: abstention
country: SENEGAL
vote: yes
country: SWEDEN
vote: yes
country: UKRAINE
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: URUGUAY
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                   S/RES/2393 (2017)
               Security Council                                                  Distr.: General
                                                                                 19 December 2017




               Resolution 2393 (2017)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 8141st meeting, on
               19 December 2017

                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling its resolutions 2042 (2012), 2043 (2012), 2118 (2013), 2139 (2014),
               2165 (2014), 2175 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2209 (2015), 2235 (2015), 2254 (2015), 2258
               (2015), 2268 (2016), 2286 (2016), 2332 (2016) and 2336 (2016), and its Presidential
               Statements of 3 August 2011 (S/PRST/2011/16), 21 March 2012 (S/PRST/2012/6),
               5 April 2012 (S/PRST/2012/10), 2 October 2013 (S/PRST/2013/15), 24 April 2015
               (S/PRST/2015/10) and 17 August 2015 (S/PRST/2015/15),
                      Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and
               territorial integrity of Syria, and to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the
               United Nations,
                     Expressing outrage at the unacceptable level of violence and the killing of well
               over a quarter of a million people, including tens of thousands of child casualties, as
               a result of the Syrian conflict,
                     Gravely distressed by the continued severity of the devastating humanitarian
               situation in Syria, and by the fact that urgent humanitarian assistance, including
               medical assistance, is now required by more than 13.1 million people in Syria, of
               whom 6.1 million are internally displaced, 2.9 million are living in hard -to-reach
               areas, including Palestinian refugees, and hundreds of thousands of civilians are
               trapped in besieged areas,
                     Gravely concerned at the insufficient implementation of its resolutions 2139
               (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015) and 2332 (2016) and recalling in this
               regard the legal obligations of all parties under international humanitarian law and
               international human rights law, as well as all the relevant decisions of the Security
               Council, including by ceasing all attacks against civilians and civilian objects,
               including those involving attacks on schools, medical facilities and the deliberate
               interruptions of water supply, the indiscriminate use of weapons, including artillery,
               barrel bombs and air strikes, indiscriminate shelling by mortars, car bombs, suicide
               attacks and tunnel bombs, as well as the use of starvation of civilians as a method of
               combat, including by the besiegement of populated areas, and the widespread use of
               torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary executions, extrajudicial killings, enforced
               disappearances, sexual and gender-based violence, as well as all grave violations and
               abuses committed against children,




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                     Noting the progress made during 2017 in taking back areas of Syria from the
               Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Daesh), and Al -Nusrah Front
               (ANF) but expressing its grave concern that areas remain under their control and
               about the negative impact of their presence, violent extremist ideology and actions on
               stability in Syria and the region, including the devastating humanitarian impact on
               the civilian populations which has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousand s
               of people and the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage, reaffirming its resolve to
               address all aspects of the threat posed by ISIL (also known as Daesh), ANF and all
               other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al -Qaida, and
               other terrorist groups, as determined by the United Nations Security Council, and as
               may further be agreed by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and endorsed
               by the UN Security Council, and calling for the full implementation of Security
               Council resolutions 2170 2014), 2178 (2014), 2199 (2015), 2249 (2015), 2253 (2015),
               and 2347 (2017),
                     Expressing grave concern also at the movement of foreign terrorist fighters and
               other terrorists and terrorist groups into and out of Syria and reiterating its ca ll on all
               States to take steps, consistent with international law, to prevent and suppress the flow
               of foreign terrorist fighters to ISIL, ANF and all other individuals, groups,
               undertakings and entities associated with ISIL or Al-Qaida, and other terrorist groups,
               as determined by the United Nations Security Council, and as may further be agreed
               by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and endorsed by the UN Security
               Council,
                     Reaffirming the primary responsibility of the Syrian authorities to prote ct the
               population in Syria and, reiterating that parties to armed conflict must take all feasible
               steps to protect civilians, and recalling in this regard its demand that all parties to
               armed conflict comply fully with the obligations applicable to them un der
               international law related to the protection of civilians in armed conflict, including
               journalists, media professionals and associated personnel,
                     Strongly condemning the arbitrary detention and torture of individuals in Syria,
               notably in prisons and detention facilities, a s well as the kidnappings, abductions,
               hostage-taking and forced disappearances, and demanding the immediate end of these
               practices and the release of all arbitrarily detained persons starting with women and
               children, as well as sick, wounded and elderly people and United Nations and
               humanitarian personnel and journalists,
                     Reiterating its strong condemnation of all forms of violence and intimidation to
               which those participating in humanitarian operations are increasingly exposed, as
               well as attacks on humanitarian convoys and acts of destruction and looting of their
               assets, and its urging of all parties involved in an armed conflict to promote the safety,
               security and freedom of movement of humanitarian personnel, including medical
               personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties, and
               United Nations and its associated personnel and their assets, expressing its ongoing
               admiration at the dedication and commitment of the Syrian Red Crescent volunteers,
               and other humanitarian workers operating in deeply challenging conditions, and
               urging all parties to take all appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of
               United Nations and associated personnel, those of its specialized agencies, and all
               other personnel engaged in humanitarian relief activities,
                    Noting that, despite ongoing challenges, the United Nations and their
               implementing partners continue to deliver life-saving assistance to millions of people
               in need in Syria through humanitarian aid delivered across borders, including the
               delivery of food assistance for on average 1 million people every month since 2016;
               non-food items for 4 million people; health assistance for 15 million treatments, and
               water and sanitation supplies for over 3 million people,


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                 Deeply disturbed by the low number of people reached with humanitarian
           assistance in hard-to-reach and besieged areas, expressing grave alarm at the dire
           situation of the hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in besieged areas in the
           Syrian Arab Republic, including Eastern Ghouta, and reaffirming that sieges of
           civilian populations in Syria are a violation of international humanitarian law, and
           calling for the immediate lifting of all sieges,
                 Reiterating its grave concern at all instances of hindrances to the effective
           delivery of humanitarian assistance, noting that ISIL (also known as Daesh), ANF and
           all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al -Qaida, are
           hindering the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance, and ar e responsible for
           preventing aid delivery through deliberate interference and obstruction,
                Reiterating further its grave concern at the continuing impediments to the
           delivery of humanitarian assistance across conflict lines, noting that on average in
           2017, a quarter of beneficiaries in the UN monthly and bi -monthly plans have been
           reached through interagency cross-line convoys each month,
                 Expressing grave concern that access to medical care continues to be severely
           restricted, and reiterating the need to respect the principle of medical neutrality,
           facilitate free passage to all areas for medical personnel, equipment, transport and
           supplies, including surgical items,
                 Reaffirming the need to support the United Nations and their implementing
           partners in their efforts to expand the delivery of humanitarian assistance to reach all
           people in need in Syria, and further reaffirming its decision in resolution 2165 (2014)
           that all Syrian parties to the conflict shall enable the immediate and unhindered
           delivery of humanitarian assistance directly to people throughout Syria, by the United
           Nations and their implementing partners, on the basis of United Nations assessments
           of need and devoid of any political prejudices and aims, including by immediately
           removing all impediments to the provision of humanitarian assistance,
                Expressing its interest in receiving more detailed information from the UN
           Secretary-General on the delivery of humanitarian assistance by the United Nations
           and their implementing partners, in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2165 (2014),
                 Expressing its appreciation for the work of the United Nations monitoring
           mechanism in monitoring shipments and confirming their humanitarian nature, in
           accordance with resolutions 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015) and 2332 (2016),
           and commending the mechanism’s efforts in facilitating cross-border delivery of
           humanitarian aid by the United Nations and their implementing partners, emphasizing
           the importance to further robust monitoring of the humanitarian nature o f UN relief
           consignments and their delivery inside Syria, and encouraging the United Nations
           and their implementing partners to continue to take steps to scale up humanitarian
           deliveries into hard-to-reach and besieged areas, including by using, as effectively as
           possible, border crossings under resolution 2165 (2014),
                 Reiterating the need for all parties to respect and uphold the relevant provisions
           of international humanitarian law and the United Nations guiding principles of
           humanitarian emergency assistance, and emphasizing the importance of upholding the
           principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, in the provision of
           humanitarian assistance, and recalling also the importance of humanitarian deliveries
           reaching their intended beneficiaries,
                 Noting the role that ceasefire agreements which are consistent with
           humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law can play in facilitating
           the delivery of humanitarian assistance in order to help save civilian lives, and
           recalling in this regard that the Terms for the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria,


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               endorsed in its resolution 2268 (2016), when implemented, have benefited the
               humanitarian situation,
                    Noting the ongoing work on de-escalation areas to reduce violence as a step
               towards a comprehensive nation-wide ceasefire, and emphasizing that humanitarian
               access must be part of such efforts,
                     Expressing grave concern at the more than 5.4 million refugees, including more
               than 3.9 million women and children, who have fled Syria as a result of ongoing
               violence, and recognizing that the continued severity of the devastating humanitarian
               situation in Syria is further contributing to the movement of refugees and poses risks
               to regional stability,
                    Reiterating its deep appreciation for the significant and admirable efforts that
               have been made by the countries of the region, notably Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq
               and Egypt, to accommodate Syrian refugees, including the approximately 2.7 million
               refugees who have fled Syria since the adoption of resolution 2139 (2014), and
               mindful of the immense costs and social challenges incurred by these countries as a
               consequence of the crisis,
                     Noting with concern that the international response to the Syrian and regional
               crisis continues to fall short of meeting the needs as assessed by host governments
               and the United Nations, therefore urging once again all Member States, based on
               burden-sharing principles, to support the United Nations and the countries of the
               region, including by adopting medium and long-term responses to alleviate the impact
               on communities, providing increased, flexible and predictable funding as well as
               increasing resettlement efforts and humanitarian de-mining, and noting the Syria
               Donors Conference held in Brussels in April 2017, hosted by the European Union,
               United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Nations,
                     Noting with grave concern that impunity in Syria contributes to widespread
               violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian
               law, stressing the need to end impunity for these violations and abuses, and
               re-emphasizing in this regard the need that those who have committed or are otherwise
               responsible for such violations and abuses in Syria must be brought to justice,
                     Emphasizing that the humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate further
               in the absence of a political solution to the crisis,
                    Determining that the severity of the devastating humanitarian situation in Syria
               continues to constitute a threat to peace and security in the region,
                     Underscoring that Member States are obligated under Article 25 of the Charter
               of the United Nations to accept and carry out the Council’s decisions,
                     1.   Reiterates its demand that all parties, in particular the Syrian authorities,
               immediately comply with their obligations under international law, including
               international humanitarian law and international human rights law as applicable, and
               further demands the full and immediate implementation of all the provisions of
               Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015) and
               2332 (2016), and noting also the Presidential Statements of 2 October 2013
               (S/PRST/2013/15), 24 April 2015 (S/PRST/2015/10) and 17 August 2015
               (S/PRST/2015/15) and recalls that some of the violations and abuses committed in
               Syria may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity;
                     2.   Decides to renew the decisions in paragraphs 2 and 3 of Security Council
               resolution 2165 (2014) for a further period of twelve months, that is, until 10 January
               2019;



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                3.    Requests the Syrian authorities to expeditiously respond to all requests for
           cross-line deliveries submitted by the United Nations and their implementing
           partners, and to give such requests positive consideration;
                 4.   Reiterates that the situation will continue to deteriorate further in the
           absence of a political solution to the Syrian conflict and recalls its demand for the
           full and immediate implementation of resolution 2254 (2015) to facilitate a Syrianled and Syrian-owned political transition, in accordance with the Geneva
           Communiqué as set forth in the ISSG Statements, in order to end the conflict in Syria,
           and stresses again that the Syrian people will decide the future of Syria;
                5.    Requests the Secretary-General to conduct, within six months of the
           adoption of this resolution, an independent written review of the UN humanitarian
           cross-border operations, including recommendations on how to further strengthen the
           UN monitoring mechanism, taking into account the views of relevant parties
           including the Syrian authorities, the relevant neighbouring countries of Syria and the
           United Nations Humanitarian Agencies and their implementing partners;
                 6.    Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council on the
           implementation of this resolution, and on compliance by all relevant parties in Syria,
           within the framework of its reporting on resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191
           (2014), 2258 (2015) and 2332 (2016) and further requests the Secretary-General to
           include in his monthly reports overall trends in UN cross-line and cross-border
           humanitarian access, and more detailed information on the humanitarian assistance
           delivered through UN humanitarian cross-border operations as authorized by UNSCR
           2165 (2014), including on the number of beneficiaries, locatio ns of aid deliveries at
           district-level, and the volume and nature of items delivered;
                7.    Reaffirms that it will take further measures under the Charter of the United
           Nations in the event of non-compliance with this resolution or resolutions 2139
           (2014), 2165 (2014) and 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015) and 2332 (2016);
                8.    Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




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