UN to Probe 130K Missing People in Syria War

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Facts

  • On Thursday, the UN General Assembly voted to create an independent body to investigate the fate of thousands of people who remain missing in Syria since the start of the country's civil war in 2011.1
  • Of the over 130K reported missing, some are believed to be in government prisons or taken by non-state armed groups. Others are likely buried in mass graves, which have been found in both government and opposition-held areas.2
  • Eighty-three countries voted in favor of the resolution, while 11 — including Russia, China, Belarus, North Korea, Cuba, and Iran — opposed it, while 62 nations of the 193-member Assembly remained absent. Meanwhile, Syria said it wouldn't cooperate with the investigative body.3
  • The Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic will "clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons" in Syria and "provide adequate support to victims, survivors, and the families of those missing."4
  • According to the resolution, the body will be guided by the principles of "do no harm, impartiality, transparency, and the confidentiality of sources and information" and will have representatives from victims, survivors, and the families of the missing.3
  • Syria's civil war, now in its 13th year, has reportedly killed more than 500K civilians as of March 2023. It's estimated to have displaced half of its pre-war population of 23M.5

Sources: 1RTE.ie, 2Associated Press, 3Al Jazeera, 4France 24, and 5BBC News.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by North Press Agency. The latest UN resolution is highly politicized, unilateral, and interferes with Syrian affairs. Syria has already addressed the issue of missing persons by processing all claims of disappearances submitted to authorities and carrying out investigations based on Syrian law, available information, and resources.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by OHCHR. Syrians deserve to know the fate of thousands of people who have vanished during the country's nearly 13 years of conflict. The UN must ensure that families of the missing no longer have to put themselves at risk to search for their missing relatives or impoverish themselves to claim their basic human rights.