Estonia aligns itself with the statement made by the European Union and offers the following additional remarks in its national capacity.
We welcome today’s General Assembly meeting and the presentations as well as the tireless work by the members of the Commission of Inquiry and civil society present here today.
These testimonies and the evidence collected reflect a decade-long conflict bringing violence and immense suffering. We condemn the persistent, systematic and widespread gross violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict, in particular by the Syrian regime and its allies.
These have hit hardest the most vulnerable of the society: women and girls have been disproportionally affected throughout Syria; millions of children have been deprived of childhood, care, protection and education. Grave violations against children have continued.
Without accountability and justice there can be no peace. We stand by all steps to ensure that those responsible for breaches of international humanitarian law and human rights law, some of which may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, are held accountable.
These include the referral of the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, as well as the use of universal jurisdiction. We continue to support the work of the IIIM and the Commission of Inquiry.
Estonia also reiterates the need for safe, full and unhindered humanitarian access to all parts of Syria, in line with humanitarian principles. All channels of delivering life-saving aid should be made available. We call upon the Syrian regime to cease all restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid and to stop the harassment of humanitarian workers.
Unfortunately, cross-line aid deliveries have remained irregular and unreliable, which underscores the need to ensure the continuation and broadening of the cross-border aid mechanism.
There can be no military solution in Syria. We call for an immediate nationwide ceasefire throughout Syria to guarantee the protection of civilians. We reiterate the position of the European Union that assistance in the reconstruction of Syria can only commence when a genuine and inclusive political transition, in line with Security Council resolution 2254, is firmly under way.
The same applies for the removal of sanctions imposed by the EU on the Syrian leadership. The aim of these is to give a clear signal that punitive war tactics, such as targeting hospitals, torture of political prisoners, and enforced disappearances will not be dismissed as something normal. At the same time, the sanctions are designed to avoid impeding the supply of humanitarian assistance.
In closing, we underline the continued need for the UN, including its human rights bodies, to stay engaged with the situation in Syria.