In his statement at a side event organized, on the sidelines of the current session of the Human Rights Council, by the Permanent Mission of Qatar and the Permanent Mission of Lichtenstein, entitled "Challenges and achievements of the independent international mechanism to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes committed in Syria under the classification of international law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011", HE Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri, Qatar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva underlined that failure to take appropriate measures to achieve criminal justice in Syria despite clear evidence of human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity, documented by many UN reports, sent a signal that there was immunity and impunity for those responsible for these violations and crimes, which encouraged further violations and crimes against the Syrian people.

HE the Ambassador also stressed that the work of the international mechanism represents the first step that will pave the way for achieving accountability, justice for the victims of the Syrian people after more than seven years of the most heinous crimes and the worst violations. Achieving accountability is also a prerequisite for reaching a political solution in accordance with the Geneva Declaration 1 and relevant Security Council resolutions for the achievement of a lasting and comprehensive peace in Syria.