UN rights chief in historic meeting in Syria’s with caretaker authority in Damascus
15 January 2025
DAMASCUS, Syria — UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk met with the caretaker authority in Damascus on Sunday, in a historic first meeting between the two sides.
The meeting, which lasted for over two hours, was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was also attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.
Türk said after the meeting that he had raised a number of concerns with the caretaker authority, including the need for accountability for human rights violations, the release of political prisoners, and the improvement of the humanitarian situation in the country.
“I emphasized the importance of accountability for serious human rights violations and abuses, including those committed during the conflict,” Türk said. “I also raised the issue of arbitrary detention, and the need for the release of all political prisoners.”
Mekdad said that the caretaker authority was committed to working with the UN to improve the human rights situation in Syria.
“We are committed to cooperating with the UN and other international organizations to promote and protect human rights in Syria,” Mekdad said. “We are also committed to implementing the recommendations of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria.”
The meeting between Türk and the caretaker authority is a significant step forward in the UN’s efforts to improve the human rights situation in Syria. It is the first time that a UN human rights chief has met with the Syrian government since the outbreak of the conflict in 2011.
The meeting comes at a time when there is growing international concern about the human rights situation in Syria. The conflict has caused a humanitarian crisis, with millions of people displaced and in need of aid. There have also been widespread reports of human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, torture, and extrajudicial executions.
The UN has repeatedly called on the Syrian government to take steps to improve the human rights situation in the country. The meeting between Türk and the caretaker authority is a positive step, but it remains to be seen whether the Syrian government will take concrete steps to implement the recommendations of the UN.
UN rights chief in historic meeting in Syria’s with caretaker authority in Damascus
The AI has provided us with the news.
I’ve asked Google Gemini the following question, and here’s its response.
Middle East a new article on 2025-01-15 12:00 titled “UN rights chief in historic meeting in Syria’s with caretaker authority in Damascus”. Please write a detailed article on this news item, including any relevant information. Answers should be in English.
4