The Global Centre joined over 100 Syrian, regional and international humanitarian and human rights organizations in signing this statement regarding a 19 September attack on a humanitarian convoy in Aleppo.

History will Judge Leaders for Response to UN convoy Attack in Syria

Monday’s direct attack on a humanitarian convoy delivering life-saving aid to Aleppo marks a descent to new depths of inhumanity. As world leaders gather this week in New York, the world’s eyes are on them and history will judge their response to this criminal act.

Deliberate attacks on humanitarian workers and civilians are war crimes. This must mark a turning point: the UN Security Council cannot allow increasingly brazen violations of international humanitarian law to continue with impunity.

Heads of state are gathered in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly. Each one that accepts a lack of accountability for perpetrators and facilitators of war crimes colludes in the ongoing dissolution of international humanitarian law. These are the laws that project a common vision of humanity across the globe. They protect us all: to lose them would be to forget the lessons of both world wars and return to a time of darkness and anarchy.

Witnesses interviewed by Amnesty International said a variety of aircraft, including helicopters and Russian-made fighter jets, took part in the bombardment. We call on the Security Council immediately to request the UN Secretary-General to launch a swift investigation – and report back to the Security Council within a week – in order to identify the perpetrators definitively and make recommendations on holding them to account under international law. Those who commit such crimes must understand that they cannot continue to do so with impunity.

For five years, we have seen leaders repeatedly condemn the widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by parties to the conflict in Syria. Yet they fail time and time again to hold perpetrators to account. Over and over again, the world has watched while civilians are deliberately killed and starved, hospitals are bombed and aid workers are attacked. What further horrors will Syrians to be subjected to before we reach another red line?

Signed by:

1. Abrar Halap Association for Relief and Development
2. Action Aid International
3. Ahl Horan
4. Al Seeraj For Development And Healthcare
5. Amrha
6. ASML – Association de Soutien aux Médias Libres
7. Association for Aid and Relief (AAR), Japan
8. Attaa Association
9. Attaa for Relief and Development (ARD)
10. Balad Syria Organization
11. Basmet Amal Charity
12. Baytna Syria
13. Big Heart Foundation
14. Bihar Relief Organization
15. Binaa Organization for Development
16. Bonyan
17. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
18. CARE International
19. CCFD – Terre Solidaire
20. Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)
21. Center for Victims of Torture
22. Christian Aid
23. Collateral Repair Project
24. Collectif des Amis d’Alep
25. Comité d’Aide Humanitaire au Peuple Syrien – ComSyr57
26. Damascene House Foundation for Society Development
27. Deir Elzzor United Association (FURAT)
28. Dorcas
29. Education Without Borders (MIDAD)
30. Emaar AL Sham Humanitarian Association
31. Enjaz Development Foundation
32. ETM
33. EuroMed Rights EMHRN
34. Ghiath Matar Foundation
35. Ghiras Al Nahda
36. Ghiras Foundation
37. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
38. GOAL
39. Hand in Hand for Syria
40. Help 4 Syria
41. Human Care Syria
42. Human Rights & Democracy Media Center (SHAMS)
43. Humanitarian Relief Association (IYD)
44. International Rescue Committee
45. Ihsan for Relief and Development
46. iMMAP
47. Independent Doctors Association (IDA)
48. Insan for Psychosocial Support
49. International Supporting Woman Association (ISWA)
50. Irtiqaa Foundation
51. Karam Foundation
52. La Vague Blanche pour la Syrie
53. Local Development and Small-Projects Support (LDSPS).
54. Maram Foundation for Relief & Development
55. Masrrat – The Syrian Establishment for Human Care and Enhancement
56. Mercy Corps
57. Mountain Foundation
58. MRAP – Mouvement contre le Racisme et l’Amitié entre les Peuples
59. Najda Now
60. Nasaem Khair
61. Norwegian Refugee Council
62. NuDay Syria
63. Orient
64. Oxfam
65. People in Need
66. Physicians Across Continents (PAC)
67. Physicians for Human Rights
68. Protection Approaches
69. Qatar Red Crescent Society
70. Qitaf Al Khair Relief Association
71. Saed Charity Association
72. Save A Soul
73. Save the Children
74. Secours Islamique France
75. Sedra Association For Charity
76. Shama Association
77. Sanabel Al Khair
78. Social Development International (SDI)
79. Solidarité Saintonge Syrie
80. Solidarités International
81. SUDO UK
82. SUHA – Urgence Solidarité Syrie
83. Syria Charity
84. Syrian Expatriate Medical Association (SEMA)
85. Syria Relief
86. Syria Relief and Development
87. Syria Relief Organization
88. Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS)
89. Syrian Education Commission (SEC)
90. Syrian Engineers For Construction and Development Organization (SECD)
91. Syrian Expatriate Medical Association (SEMA)
92. Syrian Institute for Justice
93. Syrian Medical Mission
94. Syrian Network for Human Rights
95. Syrian NGO Alliance (SNA)
96. Syrian Orphans Organization
97. Takaful Alsham Charity Organisation
98. Tuba Dernegi
99. Unified Revolutionary Medical Bureau in East Gouta
100. Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM)
101. Union Of Syrians Abroad
102. Violations Documentation Center in Syria (VDC)
103. Violet Organisation
104. War Child Holland
105. War Child UK
106. White Hands – Beyazeller
107. Win Without War
108. Women for Development
109. World Vision