UNITED NATIONS: Those who committed the most serious crimes in Syria must be identified and criminal case files must be built as the basis for prosecutions, the head of a United Nations body assisting these efforts was quoted as saying on Wednesday in a press statement.

“Perpetrators of core international crimes must be held accountable,” Catherine Marchi-Uhel, head of the International, Impartial and independent Mechanism told diplomats during an informal meeting in New York organised by the UN General Assem­bly, an intergovernmental body consisting of 193 member states.

Established in December 2016 by the assembly, the mechanism is mandated to conduct two tasks: one, to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence of violations; and second, to prepare files to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings in national, regional or international courts, in accordance with international law.

“The horrors suffered by the Syrian people over the past seven years defy description,” she said. “The continuing widespread death and suffering, including recent allegations on the use of chemical weapons, are a stark reminder of the importance of justice for victims.”

Ms Marchi-Uhel said the communities most affected by these events have been “understandably” disillusioned by the prospects of accessing that justice.

So, by establishing the mechanism, the assembly took a crucial step towards ensuring accountability for these crimes.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2018