2 Jul 2012

UN / SYRIA

UN’s Human Rights chief asks the Security Council to call on the International Criminal Court to investigate both sides in the Syrian conflict for possible crimes against humanity. The French ambassador says the move is unlikely to get full council support. (UNTV)

Posted at: July 2, 2012 4:39 pm

Duration: 02:32

Available in: SD

DOWNLOAD

Full script

STORY: UN / SYRIA
TRT: 2.32
SOURCE: UNTV 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 2 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – 2011, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

2 JULY 2012, NEW YORK

2. Wide shot, Navi Pillay walking up to the microphone

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

3. Cutaway, hands taking notes

2 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:
"In my view both government forces and armed opponents have been involved in actions harming civilians. Those responsible for attacks against civilians must be held accountable. And so I reiterated my call on the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court as I believe that the evidence points to the commission of crimes against humanity."

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

5. Cutaway, hands taking notes

2 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:
"What are the violations on the part of the government forces? Well, indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, targeted killing of activists and opposition supporters, arbitrary detentions, torture and rape, as well as attacks on hospitals and clinics and using health facilities for military operations. Violations on the part of the opposition forces include killings of suspected government informers and perceived collaborators. The increasing use of improvised explosive devices causing civilian death and injuries, and we have credible reports that indicate that armed groups have also taken over at least one medical facility for military purposes."

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

7. Cutaway, hands taking notes

2 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:
"There is a risk of escalation. The provision of arms to the Syrian government and to its opponents is fuelling the violence. Any further militarization of the conflict must be avoided at all cost."

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

9. Cutaway, cameras

2 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

10. Various shots, Navi Pillay leaving the stakeout area and French Ambassador Gérard Araud approaching the microphone

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

11. Cutaway, hands taking notes

2 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations:
"As France is concerned it is very clear that we are very much in favor of referring Syria to the ICC. The problem is that it will have to be part of, I guess, a global understanding of the council and I do think for the moment we have not yet reached this point.

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

13. Cutaway, cameras

2 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

14. Wide shot, leaving stakeout area

STORYLINE:

UN's Human Rights chief today (2 July)  asked the Security Council to call on the International Criminal Court to investigate both sides in the Syrian conflict for possible crimes against humanity.

Navi Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights briefed the Security Council on the situation in Syria.

Speaking to reporters after her closed-door briefing, Pillay said her office and the independent commission of inquiry in Syria had documented that both government forces and the armed opposition had committed serious human rights violations.

She called for those responsible for attacks on civilians to be held accountable and said she had again urged the Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC), as she believed that "the evidence points to the commission of crimes against humanity".

Pillay reported that the violations by government forces included indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, targeted killing of activists and opposition supporters, arbitrary detentions, torture and rape, as well as attacks on hospitals and clinics and the use of health facilities for military operations.

Violations by opposition forces included killings of suspected government informers and perceived collaborators, the increasing use of improvised explosive devices, and the use of at least one medical facility for military purposes.

The High Commissioner warned that "there is a risk of escalation". She said the provision of arms to the Syrian government and to its opponents was fuelling the violence in Syria, and that "any further militarization of the conflict must be avoided at all cost".

Also addressing the press outside Security Council chambers, French Ambassador Gérard Araud said that while France was "very much in favor" of referring Syria to the ICC, he did not think the Security Council had reached the "global understanding" yet that would be the prerequisite for such a move.

Filed under SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC .