Canada’s statement delivered at Presentation of the Report of International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria (IIIM) at the United Nations General Assembly

April 24, 2024 - New York, New York – Global Affairs Canada

Thank you, Mr. President,

On behalf of Canada, let me start by thanking you, Ms. Catherine Marchi-Uhel, for your leadership and tireless commitment to accountability for the people of Syria. We appreciate our collaboration throughout your tenure as head of the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism, better known to all of us as the IIIM.

Through its ongoing efforts on the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the heinous crimes under international law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011, the Mechanism continues to play an indispensable and necessary role. The documentation and collection of evidence on war crimes and human rights violations are critical in our common quest to uphold international law and human rights. As such, the international community must continue its support, including financial support via the necessary budget allocations, to facilitate the work of this Mechanism as well as others.

Madame Catherine Marchi-Uhel, c’est un grand plaisir pour le Canada de souligner votre leadership exceptionnel. D’une simple vague idée vous avez, avec le soutien de votre équipe, créé un mécanisme qui donne une lueur d’espoir aux victimes et leur famille, envers lesquelles votre engagement est absolument remarquable.

The Mechanism’s latest report and today’s debate, demonstrate the continuing need for the international community to ensure that justice and accountability for the victims of atrocity crimes at the hands of the Syrian regime remains at the forefront of our common efforts.

In this regard, Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to support justice and accountability for the Syrian people, who have suffered immensely for more than a decade.

In this vein, Canada and the Netherlands continue to closely collaborate to seek justice for victims and survivors of human rights violations, in particular torture, under the Convention against Torture.

We are hopeful that our joint initiative will be an important step in combatting the impunity that has persisted in Syria for well over a decade and truly appreciate the Mechanism’s readiness to provide information and analysis on the joint Canada-Netherlands dispute with Syria under the Convention against Torture.

We are convinced that accountability for human rights violations and justice for victims are critical to fostering sustainable peace and lasting reconciliation in Syria.

The Mechanism remains a critical tool to achieve these goals. In this context, Canada applauds the victim/survivor centred approach the IIIM has developed and integrated into its work. The Syrian conflict has had a gendered impact as women and girls have been disproportionately affected. Consequently, Canada particularly commends the IIIMs integration of gender sensitive and child sensitive methodologies into its work and its dedicated thematic strategies on gender, children and youth.

Mr. President,

We all know that the path to justice is fraught with challenges. The political complexities of the Syrian conflict pose significant hurdles to accountability. Despite these challenges, Canada believes in the work of the Mechanism. In this regard, we welcome the appointment of Mr. Robert Petit and wish him every success as he assumes the critical role as head of the Mechanism. We are in good hands considering his important experience in the pursuit of international accountability.

Canada will continue to engage with the international community and civil society partners to support accountability efforts and sustainable peace in Syria.

But beyond that Mr. President, I want to make it clear that our commitment to accountability is not just about one country or one dispute. I sometimes hear in this Hall the phrase “double standards”. There cannot be a double standard, there’s one standard. The standard is what we have all signed up for. The standard is the Charter, the standard is the institution we have created, the conventions that we have signed. Our membership in the International Court of Justice. The membership of most of us in the International Criminal Court. The establishment of the accountability mechanisms we have created, in order to at least allow for the collection of evidence, in dealing with the worst assaults against humanity.

And let’s be very clear, no country, anywhere on this planet, is above and beyond the rule of law. No country is exempt from the standards we have created, including my own. We do not claim any exemption, we do not claim any degree of exceptionalism. We accept the one standard that applies to each and every nation in the world.

And that is the standard that no one is above the law. “Be ye ever so mighty, the law is always above you”. This is what we must remember. It applies to every state here in the room, it applies to every government, it applies to everyone responsible for the crimes that are taking place on a daily basis around the world. Violence against children. The deliberate use of sexual violence as a means of war. Any intention to starve or deprive people of the necessities of life. All of these represent crimes, all of these represent assaults on our common sense of justice.

The accountability mechanisms are an essential part of the architecture that we are still building; and believe me, the building is far from over. But let there be no mistake, this law applies to all of us, without exception.

Thank you, Mr. President.