Mr. Secretary-General,
Mr. High Commissioner,
My delegation endorses the statement made by the European Union. We wish to briefly add the following remarks.
Mr. President,
The humanitarian crisis cannot allow us to forget the realities of the war in Syria. More than 150,000 people are still missing. Most of them are or have been detained in the regime’s prisons.
For that reason, France supports the creation of an independent international body, with a humanitarian mandate to allow the families of the victims of missing persons to finally access the truth about the fate of their loved ones. This new body will be able to rely on the important work carried out on the ground by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, by all actors of Syrian civil society and by other United Nations and international organizations.
In order to meet the needs of the families of the victims, this new body will require the active and good faith cooperation of all stakeholders, first and foremost the Syrian regime, in full transparency. It will also require a regular and appropriate budget to fulfill its mission.
Mr. Secretary-General,
Mr. High Commissioner,
Access to the truth for the families of the victims is one of the conditions for a lasting peace. We will continue to call upon the regime to engage in a credible and inclusive political process, in accordance with Resolution 2254.
Finally, Mr. President, we were pleased to note, in this interactive dialogue session, the criteria of independence, security and impartiality mentioned by the High Commissioner in order to enable such a future body to function efficiently to meet the needs of the families.
Looking ahead, my delegation would like to hear from the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner on the best ways to ensure the swift establishment of such a body.
Thank you.
