Security Council resolution 2504 (2020) [on humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic and renewal of authorization of relief delivery and monitoring mechanism for a period of 6 months]
Symbol: S/RES/2504 (2020)
Date: 2020-01-10
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/75 [222] SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC SITUATION
S/ X The situation in the Middle East.
Subjects: UN. Monitoring Mechanism Established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2165 (2014)|HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMED CONFLICTS|HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE|RELIEF CORRIDORS|SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
Votes in favour: 11
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 4
Voting record:
country: BELGIUM
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: abstention
country: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
vote: yes
country: ESTONIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GERMANY
vote: yes
country: INDONESIA
vote: yes
country: NIGER
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: abstention
country: SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
vote: yes
country: SOUTH AFRICA
vote: yes
country: TUNISIA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: abstention
country: UNITED STATES
vote: abstention
country: VIET NAM
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                   S/RES/2504 (2020)
               Security Council                                                  Distr.: General
                                                                                 10 January 2020




               Resolution 2504 (2020)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 8700th meeting, on
               10 January 2020

                    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), 2336 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401 (2018),
               2449 (2018) 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), 17 August 2015
               (S/PRST/2015/15), and 8 October 2019 (S/PRST/2019/12),
                      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,
                     Emphasizing that more than 11.1 million people in Syria require humanitarian
               assistance and that the cross-border mechanism remains an urgent and temporary
               solution to address the humanitarian needs of the population, which cannot be reached
               through existing operations within Syria,
                     Recalling the guiding principles of Humanitarian Emergency assistance as set
               out in the GA resolution 46/182 and 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, 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,
                    Determining that 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.    Calls upon all parties to ensure principled, sustained and improved
               humanitarian assistance to Syria in 2020;
                     2.   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




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S/RES/2504 (2020)

               further demands the full and immediate implementation of all provisions of all
               relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165
               (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015), 2332 (2016), 2393 (2017) 2401 (2018), and 2449
               (2018), and recalls that some of the violations and abuses committed in Syria may
               amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity;
                     3.   Decides to renew the decisions in paragraphs 2 and 3 of Security Council
               resolution 2165 (2014), for a period of six months, that is, until 10 July 2020,
               excluding the border crossings of Al-Ramtha and of Al Yarubiyah;
                    4.    Further demands that all parties allow safe, unimpeded and sustained
               access for United Nations’ and their implementing partners’ humanitarian convoys,
               including medical and surgical supplies, to all requested areas and populations
               according to United Nations’ assessment of need in all parts of Syria;
                     5.    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 Syrian-led
               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;
                     6.    Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council by the
               end of February 2020 on the feasibility of using alternative modalities for the border
               crossing of Al Yarubiyah in order to ensure that humanitarian assistance, including
               medical and surgical supplies, reaches people in need throughout Syria through the
               most direct routes, and in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity,
               neutrality, impartiality and independence;
                    7.    Calls upon United Nations humanitarian agencies to improve monitoring
               of the delivery and distribution of United Nations relief consignments and their
               delivery inside Syria and requests the Secretary-General to conduct, within six
               months of the adoption of this resolution, an independent written review of the United
               Nations humanitarian cross-line and cross-border operations, including
               recommendations on how to further strengthen the United Nations Monitoring
               Mechanism, in order to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches people in need
               through the most direct routes, 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;
                     8.   Requests the Secretary-General to brief the Council monthly and to
               provide a report on a regular basis, at least every 60 days, on the implementation of
               resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015), 2332 (2016), 2393
               (2017), 2401 (2018), 2449 (2018) and this resolution and on compliance by all
               relevant parties in Syria and further requests the Secretary-General to continue to
               include in his reports overall trends in United Nations cross-line and cross-border
               humanitarian access and detailed information on the humanitarian assistance
               delivered through United Nations humanitarian cross-border operations, including on
               the number of beneficiaries, locations of aid deliveries at district -level and the volume
               and nature of items delivered;
                    9.    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), 2332 (2016), 2393 (2017), 2401
               (2018), and 2449 (2018);
                    10.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.



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