New York / Information Office / March 03  

The State of Qatar has renewed the call for a political solution to the crisis in Syria, stressing that military solutions will only result in more suffering and destabilization of security and stability.

The State of Qatar denounced human rights violations and perpetration of atrocious crimes in Syria, emphasizing the need for justice and accountability to ensure that there is no impunity.

This came in the State of Qatar's statement made by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani at a UN General Assembly High-Level Informal Plenary Meeting on Syria.

In the statement, Her Excellency reviewed the crisis in Syria, which she described as a "dark page" in the history of this country, during which the brotherly Syrian people who experienced the most severe types of abuse and human suffering, pointing out that children have also suffered from the brunt of this crisis, as a generation of Syrian children witnessed unspeakable tragedy.

HE underlined that at this juncture - ten years after the beginning of the Syrian crisis - the beginnings of the crisis should be recalled, as it began with peaceful protests by the Syrian people in front of the whole world to demand freedom, dignity and social justice, which were unfortunately met with an unprecedented brutal repression, indicating that the Syrian people have since paid a heavy price for their demand for those basic rights.

She also affirmed Syrian people's right to obtain their legitimate aspirations to live in security, peace and dignity.

Since the beginning of the crisis, the State of Qatar has warned that violence against civilians will have a catastrophic impact on Syria and the region, and has condemned war crimes, crimes against humanity and all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law committed against Syrian civilians, HE said.

Meanwhile, HE Sheikha Alya also affirmed that the State of Qatar adheres to its firm principled position, as it has never wavered from its humanitarian commitment to provide much-needed relief assistance to the Syrian displaced and refugees, which exceeded $2 billion.

One of the most serious crimes that have been repeatedly committed in Syria is the use of banned chemical weapons, HE said, warning that impunity for these violations constitutes a dangerous precedent.

These crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law as well as the crimes against humanity in Syria are documented in an unprecedented way, HE said, calling on the international community to work collectively to ensure justice and accountability.

In this context, she reiterated that the State of Qatar remains at the forefront of countries to support the international, impartial and independent mechanism concerned with Syria, referring to the role played by the Head of the Mechanism Catherine Marchi-Uhel and her employees in the implementation of the important mandate entrusted to the mechanism.

HE Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani made clear that the crisis in Syria has resulted in dire consequences not only for that country, but also for regional and international peace and security, adding that has become clear to everyone that the military solutions will not succeed and will only result in more suffering and destabilization of security and stability.

In the conclusion of her statement, HE Qatar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations reiterated the State of Qatar's support for the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria in order to reach a solution, through a meaningful political process that leads to a political transition in accordance with the Geneva-1 Declaration and the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2254 with all its elements, noting that this is the only way to end the crisis, achieve the political transition and preserve the unity, sovereignty and independence of Syria.