Spain and France co-chair Security Council meeting on indiscriminate use of arms on civilians in Syria

The context of this meeting derives from a resurgence in attacks on civilians in Syria, which have taken the lives of more than 1,300 victims in the last two months. The bombing of civilians in the city of Aleppo has been particularly dramatic over the last few weeks, including on markets and healthcare institutions, with barrel bombs being frequently used to particularly lethal effect.

The indiscriminate use of arms, including barrel bombs, is banned under International Humanitarian Law and has been condemned by the Security Council (Resolution 2139).

Spain, which heads up the Security Council humanitarian committee on Syria, together with Jordan and New Zealand, considers it to be urgent and imperative for this body to tackle the dramatic increase in civilian victims in the Syrian conflict and step up its efforts to ensure compliance with the requirements for protection and humanitarian aid contained in Resolution 2139.

The dramatic consequences of the Syrian conflict, now entering into its fifth year, require the urgent implementation of a political solution to bring to an end the bloodshed and suffering of the civilian population - the primary victim of this conflict. Spain supports the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura and trusts that the current consultation process in Geneva can lay the foundations for a political transition in accordance with the 2012 Geneva Communiqué.

The meeting will be attended by Nadim Houry (Human Rights Watch), Bassam Alahmad (Violations Documentation Center in Syria) and Raed Saleh (Syria Civil Defence).