On behalf of Canada, let me start by thanking you, Ms. Catherine Marchi-Uhel, for your leadership and tireless commitment to accountability for the people of Syria. We appreciate our collaboration throughout your tenure as head of the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism, better known to all of us as the IIIM. Through its ongoing efforts on the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the heinous crimes under international law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March , the Mechanism continues to play an indispensable and necessary role.
The documentation and collection of evidence on war crimes and human rights violations are critical in our common quest to uphold international law and human rights. As such, the international community must continue its support, including financial support via the necessary budget allocations, to facilitate the work of this Mechanism as well as others. In this regard, Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to support justice and accountability for the Syrian people, who have suffered immensely for more than a decade.
In this vein, Canada and the Netherlands continue to closely collaborate to seek justice for victims and survivors of human rights violations, in particular torture, under the Convention against Torture. We are convinced that accountability for human rights violations and justice for victims are critical to fostering sustainable peace and lasting reconciliation in Syria. The Mechanism remains a critical tool to achieve these goals. The Syrian conflict has had a gendered impact as women and girls have been disproportionately affected.
Consequently, Canada particularly commends the IIIMs integration of gender sensitive and child sensitive methodologies into its work and its dedicated thematic strategies on gender, children and youth. We all know that the path to justice is fraught with challenges. The political complexities of the Syrian conflict pose significant hurdles to accountability. Despite these challenges, Canada believes in the work of the Mechanism.
In this regard, we welcome the appointment of Mr. Robert Petit and wish him every success as he assumes the critical role as head of the Mechanism. We are in good hands considering his important experience in the pursuit of international accountability. Canada will continue to engage with the international community and civil society partners to support accountability efforts and sustainable peace in Syria.
