The Security Council,

Recalling its resolutions 2042 (2012), 2043 (2012), 2118 (2013), 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2175 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2209 (2015), 2254 (2015), 2258 (2015) and 2268 (2016),

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria, and to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Gravely distressed by the continued deterioration of the devastating humanitarian situation in Syria, and the fact that now more than 13.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria, and that about 6.1 million people are internally displaced (in addition to the half a million Palestinian refugees who had settled in Syria), several hundred thousands of people are suffering in besieged areas,

Expressing outrage at the unacceptable and escalating level of violence and at the intensified fighting in recent days in Aleppo,

Strongly condemning the increased terrorist attacks resulting in numerous casualties and destruction carried out by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Daesh), Al Nusrah Front (ANF) and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al Qaeda or ISIL (also known as Daesh), and other terrorist groups, as designated by the Security Council, and reiterating its call on all parties to commit to putting an end to terrorist acts perpetrated by such organizations and individuals while reaffirming that terrorism in all its forms constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever, and by whomsoever committed,

Noting with appreciation the efforts undertaken by the Russian Federation and the United States of America as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group,

Reiterating that the only sustainable solution to the current crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process based on the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012 as endorsed by resolution 2118 (2013), its resolutions 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016) and relevant statements of the International Syria Support Group,

Gravely concerned at the lack of effective implementation of its resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), and 2191 (2014) and 2258 (2016) and recalling in this regard the legal obligations of all parties under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as all the relevant decisions of the Security Council, including by ceasing all attacks against civilians and civilian objects, including those involving attacks on schools, medical facilities and the deliberate interruptions of water supply, the indiscriminate use of weapons, including artillery, barrel bombs and air strikes, indiscriminate shelling by mortars, car bombs, suicide attacks and tunnel bombs, as well as the use of starvation of civilians as a method of combat, including by the besiegement of populated areas, and the widespread use of torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary executions, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual and gender-based violence, as well as all grave violations and abuses committed against children,

Taking note of the decision of the Secretary-General to establish an internal United Nations Board of Inquiry on the incident involving bombing of a United Nations-Syrian Arab Red Crescent relief operation to Urum al-Kubra, Syria, on 19 September 2016, and urging all parties concerned to cooperate fully with the Board and underlining the importance of completing the investigation without delay with a view to hold the perpetrators accountable,

Strongly condemning the widespread violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, stressing the need to end impunity for these violations and abuses, and re-emphasizing in this regard the need that those who have committed or are otherwise responsible for such violations and crimes in Syria must be brought to justice,

Emphasizing that the humanitarian situation in Syria continues to constitute a threat to peace and security in the region, and will continue to deteriorate further in the absence of a political solution to the crisis, and stressing in this regard that there is no military solution to the conflict in Syria,

Reaffirming its intent, expressed in its resolution 2258 (2015) to take further measures in the event of non-compliance with resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014) and 2191 (2014),

Recalling that Member States are obligated under Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations to accept and carry out the Council’s decisions,

1. Demands that all parties to the Syrian conflict, in particular the Syrian authorities, immediately comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law as applicable, in particular in all besieged and hard-to-reach areas, and fully and immediately implement all the provisions of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2199 (2015), 2254 (2015), 2258 (2015) and 2268 (2016), and recalls that violations and abuses committed in Syria shall not go unpunished;

2. Notes the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States of America of 9 September 2016 and calls upon all parties to be guided by the aforementioned Agreement, including for the purpose of providing immediate and unhindered humanitarian access, in particular through weekly 48 hour humanitarian pauses, and urges the co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group to ensure the implementation of this Agreement;

3. Urges immediate implementation of the cessation of hostilities, in particular in Aleppo, stresses that any party can bring a violation or potential violation of the cessation of hostilities to the attention of the Cessation of Hostilities Task Force, and further urges immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Syria consistent with the terms of the cessation of hostilities;

4. Stresses the urgent need to achieve and verify separating moderate opposition forces from “Jabhat Al-Nusra” as a key priority and demands that all parties prevent material and financial support from reaching individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al Qaeda, ISIL (also known as Daesh) or “Jabhat al-Nusra”, and other terrorist groups, as designated by the Security Council, and urges members of the ISSG to demand from any party to stop fighting in collaboration with them, to separate from them and to formally subscribe to the Cessation of Hostilities;

5. Demands all parties to comply with United Nations requests for humanitarian access by observing the cessation of hostilities as described in resolution 2268 (2016) and the Agreement of 9 September, 2016, including with regard to the pullback from Castello Road and establishing checkpoints on that road, and to facilitate evacuation of urgent medical cases and also to use for humanitarian and medical purposes the Suleiman al Halabi corridor between Eastern and Western Aleppo;

6. Welcomes the initiative of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Syria of 6 October 2016 on normalizing the situation in Aleppo and requests the Secretary-General to present to the Security Council a detailed plan for its implementation in cooperation with interested parties for the purpose of the endorsement by the Security Council;

7. Reiterates that the only sustainable solution to the current crisis in Syria is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, with a view to full implementation of the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012 as endorsed by resolution 2118 (2013), as well as full implementation of resolutions 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016) while acting simultaneously and without preconditions on political, humanitarian and counterterrorism parallel tracks;

8. Deplores the protracted delay in all-Syrian political process, demands to bring to immediate end further postponement of inclusive negotiations and expresses in this regard its fullest support for the Special Envoy’s efforts towards a full implementation of resolution 2254 and urges all parties to the Syrian conflict to cooperate constructively, without preconditions and in good faith with the Special Envoy to this end in his efforts aimed at an early resumption of the intra-Syrian political dialogue, and reaffirms that the future of Syria should be decided by the Syrians themselves;

9. Requests further the Secretary-General to report to the Council in due course on the implementation of this resolution by all parties to the Syrian conflict;

10. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Source : S/2016/847