Date: 13 April 2022
On 13 April 2022, Mariana Karkoutly, co-founder and board member of Huquqyat, participated in the thematic discussion of the United Nations Security Council on accountability as a means to end sexual violence in conflicts.
During the session, she delivered a statement reflecting the views of Huquqyat and other Syrian civil society organizations. She expressed her regret, saying: “Despite more than a decade of discussions regarding Syria, this Council has failed to act to hold perpetrators accountable,” and highlighted how the use of the veto against Security Council resolutions in turn worked to protect the Syrian regime from accountability.
Ms. Karkoutly stressed that by targeting women, perpetrators also target their families and communities, and affirmed the impossibility of local accountability processes in Syria as long as Bashar al-Assad’s regime remains in power.