Security Council, Adopting Resolution 2191 (2014), Renews Authorization Allowing Agencies, Humanitarian Partners Continued Aid Access across Syrian Borders
Affirming that despite severe challenges in Syria the United Nations and its partners were delivering life-saving aid there, the Security Council this morning renewed for twelve months its authorization for those actors to use routes across conflict lines as well as specified border crossings.
Through the unanimous adoption of resolution 2191 (2014), the 15-member body decided that United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners could continue until 10 January 2016 to, with notification to the Syrian authorities, use the border crossings at Bab al-Salam, Bab al-Hawa, Al Yarubiyah and Al-Ramtha in addition to those already in use as originally authorized by resolution 2165 (2014) (see Press Release SC/11473 of 14 July). It also renewed the monitoring mechanism created by that resolution in order to ensure compliance.
The Council reiterated that the only sustainable solution to the violence in Syria and the accompanying deterioration of humanitarian conditions was through an inclusive, Syrian-led political process. In that context, it said it looked forward to further advice from the Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, concerning his proposals on the implementation of so-called “freeze” zones.
The meeting opened at 10:05 a.m. and closed at 10:08 a.m.
Resolution
The full text of resolution 2191 (2014) reads as follows:
“The Security Council,
“Recalling its resolutions 2042 (2012), 2043 (2012), 2118 (2013), 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014) and 2175 (2014), 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) and 2 October 2013 (S/PRST/2013/15),
“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 more than 191,000 people, including well over 10,000 children, as a result of the Syrian conflict, as reported by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and his Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict,
“Gravely distressed by the continued deterioration of the devastating humanitarian situation in Syria and by the fact that now more than 12.2 million people in Syria — of whom 7.6 million are internally displaced, 4.5 million are living in hard-to-reach areas and 212,000 are trapped in besieged areas, including Palestinian refugees — require urgent humanitarian assistance, including medical assistance, and noting with concern that approximately one million more people have been displaced within Syria since the adoption of resolution 2165 (2014),
“Gravely concerned at the lack of effective implementation of its resolutions 2139 (2014) and 2165 (2014) by the parties to the Syrian domestic conflict, recalling in this regard their legal obligations 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,
“Expressing its grave concern that areas of Syria are under the control of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Al Nusrah Front (ANF) 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, ANF and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaida, and calling for the implementation of Security Council resolutions 2170 (2014) and 2178 (2014), and its Presidential Statement of 28 July 2014 (S/PRST/2014/14),
“Strongly condemning the arbitrary detention and torture of civilians 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 people including United Nations and humanitarian personnel and journalists,
“Recalling its strong condemnation in resolution 2175 (2014) 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 and United Nations and its associated personnel and their assets, and urging that all parties to the Syrian domestic conflict must 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 all the challenges, the United Nations and their implementing partners continue to deliver life-saving assistance to millions of people in need, and taking note that hard-to-reach locations in Aleppo, Idleb, Quneitra and Dar’a have been reached since the adoption of resolution 2165 (2014) through humanitarian aid delivered across borders, stressing however in this regard that most people in hard-to-reach and besieged areas remain difficult for the United Nations and their implementing partners to reach with humanitarian assistance,
“Expressing deep concern at the continuing and new impediments to the delivery of humanitarian assistance across borders and across conflict lines, encouraging the United Nations humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners 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), and noting that the United Nations monitoring mechanism is operational and continuing its activities, including monitoring shipments and confirming their humanitarian nature, in accordance with resolution 2165 (2014),
“Reaffirming the need to support the United Nations humanitarian agencies 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 humanitarian agencies 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,
“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,
“Recalling the need for all parties to respect the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law and the United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian emergency assistance,
“Expressing grave concern at the more than 3.2 million refugees, including more than 2.5 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 400,000 refugees who have fled Syria since the adoption of resolution 2165 (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 taking note in this regard of the Berlin Communiqué of 28 October 2014,
“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,
“1. Demands that all parties to the Syrian domestic conflict, in particular the Syrian authorities, immediately comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and fully and immediately implement all the provisions of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014) and 2165 (2014) and the Presidential Statement of 2 October 2013 (S/PRST/2013/15), 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 two and three of Security Council resolution 2165 (2014) for a period of twelve months, that is, until 10 January 2016;
“3. Decides to conduct six months after the renewal of these decisions a review of the implementation of paragraph two of this resolution;
“4. Expresses its full support for the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, looks forward in particular to further advice from the Special Envoy concerning his proposals aimed at reducing violence, including through the implementation of freeze zones, emphasizes that if the violence in Syria continues to escalate, the humanitarian situation will continue to worsen, and reiterates that the only sustainable solution to the current crisis in Syria is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, with a view to full implementation of the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012 endorsed as annex II of its resolution 2118 (2013);
“5. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council on the implementation of this resolution, and on compliance by all parties to the Syrian domestic conflict, within the framework of its reporting on resolutions 2139 (2014) and 2165 (2014);
“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 resolution 2139 (2014) or 2165 (2014) by any party to the Syrian domestic conflict;
“7. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.”