Security Council resolution 2332 (2016) [on humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic and renewal of authorization of relief delivery and monitoring mechanism until 18 Jan. 2018]
Symbol: S/RES/2332 (2016)
Date: 2016-12-21
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/71 [222] SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC SITUATION
S/ X The situation in the Middle East.
Subjects: HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMED CONFLICTS|HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE|RELIEF CORRIDORS|SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: ANGOLA
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: EGYPT
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: JAPAN
vote: yes
country: MALAYSIA
vote: yes
country: NEW ZEALAND
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SENEGAL
vote: yes
country: SPAIN
vote: yes
country: UKRAINE
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: URUGUAY
vote: yes
country: VENEZUELA (BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF)
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                    S/RES/2332 (2016)
               Security Council                                                  Distr.: General
                                                                                 21 December 2016




               Resolution 2332 (2016)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 7849th meeting, on
               21 December 2016

                    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) and 2286 (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 and escalating 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 deterioration of the devastating
               humanitarian situation in Syria, and by the fact that urgent humanitarian assistance,
               including medical assistance, is now required by more than 13.5 million people in
               Syria, of whom 6.3 million are internally displaced, 3.9 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 lack of effective implementation of its resolutions
               2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014) and 2258 (2015) 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



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               disappearances, sexual and gender-based violence, as well as all grave violations
               and abuses committed against children,
                     Noting the progress made during 2016 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
               thousands of people, 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) and 2253 (2015),
                     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 call
               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 protect 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 under
               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, as 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 p eople 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




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           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 over 3 million people; non -food items for
           2.9 million people; medical supplies for 9 million treatments, and water and sanitation
           supplies for over 2.5 million people,
                 Deeply disturbed by the number of people reached with humanitarian
           assistance in hard-to-reach and besieged areas, and expressing grave alarm at the
           dire situation of the hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in besieged areas in
           the Syrian Arab Republic,
                 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 are responsible
           for preventing aid delivery through deliberate interference and obstruction,
                Reiterating further its grave concern at the continuing and growing
           impediments to the delivery of humanitarian assistance across conflict lines ,
           including through a decline in convoy approvals by the Syrian authorities,
                 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 assistan ce 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) and 2258 (2015), and
           commending the mechanism’s efforts in facilitating cross-border delivery of
           humanitarian aid by the United Nations and their implementing partners, 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),




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                     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,
               endorsed in its resolution 2268 (2016), when implemented, have benefited the
               humanitarian situation,
                    Expressing grave concern at the more than 4.8 million refugees, including
               more than 3.4 million women and children, who have fled Syria as a result of
               ongoing violence, and recognizing that the continued deterioration of the
               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
               2.4 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 noting the Syria Donors Conference held
               in London in February 2016, hosted by the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway,
               Kuwait 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 deteriorating 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,




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                 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), and 2191 (2014) and 2258
           (2015), 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 2018;
                 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 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) and 2258 (2015), and further requests the Secretary-General to
           include in his reports overall trends in humanitarian access;
                6.   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) and 2258 (2015);
                7.    Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




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