Syria’s Statement Before UNICEF Meeting : Some parts of UN report on Children and Armed Conflict Constitute Flagrant Violations of Credibility

GENEVA,(ST)_ Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Dr. Faisal al-Hamwi stressed that some paragraphs of the report of the UN Secretary General  Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui constitute a flagrant violation of neutrality, credibility, especially in ignoring the Syrian government cooperation with her and her team and for UNICEF office in Syria.

 Hamwi stressed in Syria ‘s statement before UNICEF ‘s meeting on the launch of the Global Humanitarian Initiative to care for children held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva that the Syrian government has closely cooperated with UNICEF since the beginning of the crisis and facilitated its tasks of relief and humanitarian mandate and invited the representative of the UN Secretary- General for Children and armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui, received her twice and facilitated her task and allowed her access to areas she you wished to visit.

“We would like to point here with regret  what was stated in some of the paragraphs of Zerrougui report and the blatant violation of these paragraphs to,  neutrality and credibility, especially in  her recent report in neglecting the cooperation shown by the Syrian government for her team and the UNICEF office in Syria, ” al-Hamwi said in the statement .

Hamwi criticized the report ignorance of the grave violations targeting Syrian children  displaced in camps in neighboring countries, most notable, terrorist and takfiri organizations attempts to recruit many of them to fight in Syria.

 ” Zerrougui ignored in her report any reference or comment on the prevalence of serious manifestations of organized crime, child labor and encouraging them to prostitution and the sexual assaults on underage girls and cheap media exploitation for these crimes and many other grave violations against children in these camps.” Hamwai stressed.

 Hamwi indicated that the report was devoid of any mention of the systematic destruction of schools, hospitals and health centers by takfiri groups which impeded the arrival of medicines and vaccines, especially polio vaccine for children under the age of five, a crime which is a tantamount to the level of war crimes.

 He explained that Syria is known as one of the first countries in the region, in deference to its responsibilities towards its people and its commitments to international obligations, pointing out that Syria was the first country in the region, that was announced since 25 years as fully polio free.

He indicated the dangerous effects of the unfair and illegal economic sanctions imposed by some countries on the Syrian people, describing them as a flagrant violation of the right to life, while depriving the Syrian people and children from Food, drug, vaccines and medical equipment necessary for their lives.

“The Syrian government, which secures 80 percent of the basic needs of its people under this crisis confirms it continues to carry out a full and complete responsibility towards its people, according to its commitments to human rights and the international humanitarian law and that it will continue close cooperation with international humanitarian organizations including UNICEF, as stipulated by the decision of the UN General Assembly No. 46/182.

 In July, 2013, Dr. Insaf Hamad, head of the Syrian Commission for Family Affairs, presented at a meeting with Zerrougui in Damascus, detailed and authentic documents of abuses committed by armed terrorist groups against children in Syria, both in terms of recruitment or killing and maiming, rape and destruction of hospitals and schools in addition to the use of schools as training camps for them and prevent the arrival of humanitarian aid to civilians.

T. Fateh