A/HRC/RES/38/16 Recalling that, consistent with international humanitarian law and pursuant to relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 2165 (2014) of 14 July 2014 and 2401 (2018) of 24 February 2018, all Syrian parties to the conflict are to enable the immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance, and stressing that the arbitrary denial of humanitarian access, depriving civilians of objects and assistance indispensable to their survival, including wilfully impeding relief supplies, such as food aid and life-saving medical supplies, may constitute a violation of international humanitarian law, Recalling also that deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, such as schools and educational facilities, cultural heritage and places of worship, as well as on medical facilities, patients and personnel, may amount to war crimes, Recalling further the statements made by the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that crimes against humanity and war crimes are likely to have been committed in the Syrian Arab Republic, Reaffirming that the use of chemical weapons constitutes a serious violation of international law, reiterating that all those responsible for any use of chemical weapons must be held accountable, and regretting that the mandate of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism has not been renewed, Bearing in mind that the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons fuel conflict and affect negatively the enjoyment of human rights, Expressing its deepest concern at the findings of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, and deploring the lack of cooperation by the Syrian authorities with the Commission of Inquiry, Acknowledging the ongoing efforts of human rights defenders active in the Syrian Arab Republic to document violations and abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law, despite grave risks, 1. Deplores the fact that the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic continues in its eighth year with its devastating impact on the civilian population, and urges all parties to the conflict to abstain immediately from any actions that may contribute to the further deterioration of the human rights, security and humanitarian situations; 2. Calls upon all parties to the conflict and Member States, especially members of the International Syria Support Group, to make renewed efforts to create conditions, including a comprehensive nationwide ceasefire, that support continued negotiations for a political solution to the Syrian conflict, under the auspices of the United Nations Office at Geneva, as only a durable political solution to the conflict can bring an end to the systematic, widespread and gross violations and abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law; 3. Welcomes the work and the important role played by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, established by the Human Rights Council in its resolution S-17/1 of 23 August 2011, in supporting future accountability efforts by investigating all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law since March 2011 in the Syrian Arab Republic, to establish the facts and circumstances and to support efforts to ensure that all perpetrators of abuses and violations, including those who may be responsible for crimes against humanity, are held accountable; 4. Demands that the Syrian authorities cooperate fully with the Human Rights Council and the Commission of Inquiry by granting the Commission immediate, full and unfettered access throughout the Syrian Arab Republic; 5. Strongly condemns all violations and abuses of international human rights law and all violations of international humanitarian law committed by all parties to the conflict, including the continued systematic, widespread and gross violations and abuses of human rights and all violations of international humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities and affiliated militias, including foreign terrorist fighters and those foreign organizations 2