The Peninsula

Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Dr Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, said yesterday that Qatar will spare no effort in assisting in investigation and prosecution of officials responsible for the most serious crimes in Syria by supporting the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism established by the General Assembly of the United States.

Speaking at the 7th Meeting of the National Responsibility to Protect Focal Points, which takes place over the course of two days in Doha, Al Hammadi noted that the regime has escalated its severe violations of international humanitarian law and the international human rights law by adopting a policy of laying siege, starving, displacement, demographic change, and the use of chemical weapons as reflected in the recent horrible massacres committed in Khan Sheikhon.

Prosecution of officials responsible for crimes against civilians will send out a message to all violators of international humanitarian law, he added.

Qatar appreciates the role played by the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect and the Group of Friends on the Responsibility to Protect and its efforts in promoting the principle said the Secretary General.

He said that regarding the horrific images of victims of a chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun in Syria as evidence of such violations and crimes and the importance of protecting civilians calling the international community not to turn a blind eye on such crimes.

The Secretary-General added, putting an end to those crimes requires a commitment from the international community towards taking clear measures by preventing mass atrocity crimes. In addition to dealing with the causes of conflicts and crises at the roots through dialogue, reconciliation, transitional justice, involving minorities in the political process, and enhancing the mechanisms that monitor and warn of potential crises.

Al Hammadi reiterated Qatar's eagerness to implement the initiative of the Accountability, Coherence, and Transparency (ACT) of recording actions by the UN Security Council against genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and restrict the use of the veto to prevent mass atrocities. He emphasised Qatar's commitment to international laws and its fixed policies towards the need to implement Responsibility to Protect, and its supports to all global efforts to end violations of international humanitarian law.

Al Hammadi concluded urging all countries to work together to implement the Responsibility to Protect as it guarantees respect for human dignity and the upholding of rights and justice.

On the other hand, UN Secretary General's Special Adviser on Responsibility to Protect, Ivan Simonovic, praised Qatar's efforts to fight violence and atrocities against civilians especially in the Middle East, noting that Qatar is the first Arab country to establish a Responsibility to Protect focal point, and is the first in the Middle East to host such an important meeting, having already hosted a Gulf workshop that focused on Responsibility to Protect and impunity.

Simonovic urged the use of all communications possible to encourage countries to appoint focal points to prevent the crimes, strengthen the internal structure of the countries through issuing deterrent laws, raise the communities' awareness and spread the culture of peace and accountability amongst all.

For his part, Fabrizio Hochschild, the assistant secretary general for strategic coordination in the UN Executive Office, said the UN General Secretariat is looking forward to the results of the Doha meeting discussions, noting that recommendations are not enough because atrocities are increasing every day and stressing the need to take the necessary measures to protect civilians in countries such as Syria, Yemen and South Sudan.

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