United States Mission to the United Nations
Office of Press and Public Diplomacy
For Immediate Release
June 29, 2023
Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on the Adoption of a United Nations General Assembly Resolution on Missing Persons in Syria
The United States welcomes today’s vote in the United Nations General Assembly to establish the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic as an answer to the Syrian people and families desperately seeking information about their missing loved ones. The United States strongly supports the long overdue resolution put forth today by Luxembourg and a geographically diverse group of countries.
The victims here are not just those detained, tortured, and killed. The victims are also their families and loved ones. With more than 155,000 people unjustly detained and/or missing in Syria, almost every single Syrian family has been impacted by this issue – whether those missing were the result of acts of the Assad regime, ISIS, or other parties to the conflict.
We stand behind this resolution and its demand for clarification on the fate and whereabouts of Syria’s missing persons. And we stand behind the Syrian human rights defenders, survivors, and families who, despite immense suffering, tirelessly lead the charge on the search for the missing. The status quo is unacceptable – we will continue to work with them, our allies and partners, the UN, and NGOs to bring peace, justice, and closure to Syrian families.
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