US Mission Geneva

The United States joins with many other nations gathered here today to again demand an end to the Assad regime’s outrageous and ongoing crimes against innocent men, women and children. The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the heinous crimes committed in Houla last weekend.

The Human Rights Council is not and will never be a perfect institution, but the Arab Awakening provided it an opportunity to grow and to have a real impact. Going forward, our job is to ensure the Council continues to improve, and to live up to its responsibility to support the aspirations for freedom and dignity of people throughout the world.

The Commission of Inquiry will investigate all violations of international human rights law by Syrian Authorities and help the international community address the serious human rights abuses in Syria and ensure that those responsible are held to account.

There is a very strong and growing consensus in the international community that Assad has lost legitimacy to govern and must step down. The outcome manifests the extent to which he is now isolated.

Our message to the Syrian Government is clear: We will not turn a blind eye as you deliberately and ruthlessly imprison, torture, and kill your own citizens.

Everyone knows that the human rights crisis has deteriorated significantly in the last few weeks. The High Commissioner for Human Rights has come out and indicated that there are credible allegations of systematic and widespread human rights violations that may amount to crimes against humanity.

Today the UN Human Rights Council took urgent action to shine a light on the deteriorating human rights situation in Syria and condemn the continued human rights abuses by the Syrian government. Today’s resolution – passed with an overwhelming majority by members from all regions of the globe – unequivocally indicates that the use of force by the Syrian government to quell peaceful political demonstrators is unacceptable.

Press Statement by Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe Following the Adoption by the Human Rights Council of a Resolution on the Current Human Rights Situation in Syria April 29, 2011 The Human Rights Council (HRC) today adopted a resolution establishing an urgent fact finding Mission by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to [...]

This past week the facts on the ground in Syria focused our attention and galvanized the international community to act. So today’s Special Session is very important for two reasons, and we have two goals in holding this session.