The Documenting and Files Preparing Committee under the Foreign Affairs Body of Democratic Self-Administration in Rojava-North of Syria released the following detailed report regarding the Turkish state’s violation of international principles in its invasion campaign against Afrin Canton of Northern Syria.

Members of the UN Security Council voted on a UN resolution on Syria in a session on 24 February 2018, demanding a humanitarian truce for 30 days without delay in Syria. This came after three days of hard negotiations, a week after intense aerial shelling of the Eastern Ghouta and the Turkish attack on Afrin on January 20, which was home to hundreds of thousands of displaced Syrians.

The resolution 2401, which was drafted by Kuwait and Sweden, was voted unanimously by the 15 members of the Security Council. It was supported by Russia, which threatened through three days of negotiations to use the veto power to frustrate it. China voted as well. The Security Council resolution took more than 15 days of arduous negotiations to reach a formula acceptable to all in an attempt to avoid Russia from using veto power, which it did for 11 times to disrupt draft resolutions condemning the Syrian regime.

The cease-fire in Syria resolution, unanimously adopted by the UN Security Council, provides a number of points and calls on all parties to abide by and fully implement resolution 2401, which states: The Security Council unanimously votes on a draft truce resolution in Syria.

In its resolution, the Security Council reaffirmed its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

It stressed that Member States were obliged under Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations to accept and implement the Council resolutions.

1. Calls upon all parties to cease hostilities without delay. Indeed, to participate immediately in ensuring the full and comprehensive implementation of this request by all parties, for a lasting humanitarian cessation of at least 30 consecutive days throughout Syria, in order to enable unimpeded and continuous safe delivery and providing humanitarian assistance, services and medical evacuations to critically patients and wounded, in accordance with applicable international law.

2. Affirms that the cessation of hostilities does not apply to military operations against ISIS, Al-Qaeda, the Nusra Front, all other groups, projects and entities associated with al-Qaeda or ISIS, and other terrorist groups, as defined by the Security Council.

3. Calls upon all parties to respect and fulfill their commitments to existing cease-fire agreements, including the full implementation of resolution 2268. Moreover, calls upon all Member States to use their influence on both parties to ensure the implementation of the cessation of hostilities and existing commitments to support

efforts aiming to create the conditions for a permanent ceasefire and to stress the need for relevant assurances from Member States.

4. Calls upon all Member States concerned to coordinate efforts to monitor the cessation of hostilities, based on existing arrangements.

5. Further calls upon all parties, immediately after the start of the cessation of hostilities, to provide safe, unhindered and sustainable access to United Nations convoys and humanitarian implementing partners every week. Including medical and surgical supplies, to all required areas and populations.

6. Further calls upon all parties, immediately after the cessation of hostilities, to allow the United Nations and its implementing partners to undertake safe and unconditional medical evacuations. This based on medical need and urgency.

7. Reiterates its request and reminds the Syrian authorities in particular that all parties must immediately comply with their commitments under international law, including international human rights law, as appropriate, and international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians. Moreover, to ensure, respect and protect all medical personnel and humanitarian personnel who participate exclusively in medical duties, means of transport and equipment. As well as hospitals and other medical facilities, and to implement fully and immediately all the provisions of all relevant Security Council resolutions.

8. Demands that all parties facilitate safe and unimpeded passage of medical personnel and humanitarian personnel who participate exclusively in medical duties, equipment, means of transport and supplies. Including surgical materials, to all those in need, according to international humanitarian law, and reiterates its demand that all parties, medical facilities, schools and other civilian facilities must be clear of weapons. Indeed, to avoid the establishment of military sites in populated areas and to cease attacks against civilians.

9. Takes note with appreciation of the five requests identified by the Emergency Relief Coordinator on 11 January 2018 during his mission to Syria. Indeed, calls upon all parties to facilitate the implementation of these five requests and others to ensure the provision of initial, sustainable and improved humanitarian assistance to Syria in 2018.

10. Calls upon all parties to lift immediately the siege on populated areas, including East Ghouta, Yarmouk, Faoua and Kafria. Moreover, calls upon all parties to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance, including medical assistance, to cease depriving civilians of essential food and medicines they need to survive, Enabling them to evacuate quickly, safely and unhindered all civilians who wish to leave. Indeed, to affirm the need for both parties to agree on humanitarian cease-fires and a local truce to allow humanitarian agencies safe and unimpeded access to all affected areas of Syria. While recalling that the starvation of civilians as a means of warfare is prohibited under international humanitarian law.

11. Calls for urgent humanitarian procedures concerning removing mines throughout Syria.

12. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council on the implementation of the present resolution and on the compliance of all concerned parties in Syria within 15 days of the adoption of this resolution, subsequently, in his report on resolutions: 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015), 2332 (2016), 2393 (2017).

13. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

The resolution calls upon the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of this resolution and on the compliance of all concerned parties in Syria within 15 days of its adoption and thereafter in the context of reporting decisions.

The siege of the civilians of Afrin, which housed thousands of displaced people, and the eastern Ghouta in Syria,  in addition, this barbaric attack by the Turkish occupation in cooperation with the mercenaries of the so-called Free Army and elements of the terrorist ISIS backed by Turkey form a violation of international humanitarian law.

The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations (Mansour Al Otaibi) confirmed that 15 days after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2401, which called on all parties to cease fire without delay for 30 days from the adoption of the resolution throughout Syria, it is regrettable that there is still a complete absence of implementation of its provisions by regional States.

France's representative to the United Nations, François Delattre, condemned the total violation of Resolution 2401 in the Eastern Ghouta by Russia, and in the city of Afrin by Turkey, accompanied by radical Islamist groups. He said: "This is absolutely unacceptable and must stop immediately".

French President Emmanuel Macron also told his Turkish counterpart Erdogan in a phone call on Monday 26/02/2018, that the Turkish military operation in the Syrian town of Afrin is a violation of the UN Security Council resolution on a cease - fire in all Syrian territory.

The Elysee Palace quoted on behalf of Macron, during the phone call, as saying that "The cease-fire demanded by the UN Security Council on Saturday, includes all Syrian territory, including Afrin". "The cease-fire must be implemented throughout Syria, and all parties must abide by it without delay, in order to stop the current violence," he added.

The Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, pointed out that Resolution No. 2401 does not provide for an immediate cease-fire, which is immediately impossible. Rather to reach a preliminary agreement between the parties as a necessary condition for the stabilization of the cease-fire in all areas of Syria, stressing that the UN resolution is not limited to the eastern Ghouta, but also the city of Afrin and all Syrian territory as well.

US spokesperson Heather Nauert called on Turkey to re-read the resolution, referring to the continued operations of the Turkish occupation army against the Kurds in Afrin despite the UN resolution. She confirmed that the decision was clear in its containment of all the Syrian regions.

"The statements made by the US State Department that Turkey should read the text of Security Council Resolution 2401 on the truce in Syria are not based on any basis," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy declared.

The parties of the conflict in Syria did not abide by the Security Council's resolutions on Saturday, a one-month cease-fire, allowing the cessation of battles in the eastern Ghouta and the introduction of humanitarian aid and evacuation of medical cases. On Sunday, Turkey announced that its military operation in Afrin was continuing and not concerned with the UN resolution. Iran also said the attack on the eastern Ghouta would not stop.

Turkey continues its war on the territory of Afrin despite the adoption of a resolution by the UN Security Council No. (2401).

Turkey on Sunday welcomed a United Nations resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in Syria but continued its colonial operations aimed at changing the demography of Syrian-dominated Kurdish population lands.

The People's Protection Units (YPG) announced in a statement "We welcome and are ready to comply with the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2401 to stop hostilities against all enemies, with the exception of the terrorist ISIS, while retaining the right of respond in the context of legitimate self-defense in case of any attack by the Turkish army and its allied factions in Afrin.

The statement confirmed that the new UN resolution "provides for a cessation of hostilities on all Syrian territory, including the city of Afrin for a month". People's Protection Units (YPG) pledged to facilitate the transfer and entry of humanitarian aid into the area.

Violations of Security Council resolution 2401:

As soon as the UN Security Council resolution was issued stressing the cessation of hostilities in Syria for 30 days, all countries must abide by the implementation of the resolution in accordance with Article 25 of international law. However, Erdogan, who welcomed this resolution continued his offensive barbaric attack with Islamic militant groups on the area of Afrin, which resulted in the targeting of unarmed civilians and bombarded with various types of heavy weapons and aircrafts of modern technology, which was met with international rejection of Turkey's violation of Security Council resolution.

In Afrin, the city and its neighborhoods are still under barbaric bombardment by the Turkish invasion airstrikes, which target neighborhoods and public facilities. The children's section of Afrin Hospital was the target of airstrikes on Tuesday, 13 March.

In all the villages of the axis of Janderis, Bulbula, Shiah (Sheikh al-Hadid) area of Afrin, where the People's Protection Units (YPG) defend the civilians in the area, the Turkish occupation and the terrorist factions (Nusra Front/ISIS) are shelling with heavy weapons and air raids over the heads of civilians in those areas.

The Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Wednesday 14 /2 / 2018 said: the shelling by the Turkish occupation aircrafts targeted a pro-regime checkpoint on the outskirts of the town of Nubil. It resulted in the death of 10 pro-regime armed fighters, eight of them from Nubil. This area targeted by the Turkish occupation aircrafts is the road used by the displaced from the territory of Afrin. Now more than 700,000 civilians are sieged in the city of Afrin, and they are under daily shelling despite the Security Council's resolution to stop firing in Syria.