A/HRC/18/53 I. Introduction A. Background 1. Mandate 1. The fact-finding mission for the Syrian Arab Republic was established by the Human Rights Council in its resolution S-16/1, at the special session convened by the Council in the light of the widespread anti-Government protests in the Syrian Arab Republic and the grave deterioration of the human rights situation. 2. In resolution S-16/1, the Council called upon the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to cooperate fully with the mission, including by granting access to its staff. It also condemned the use of lethal violence against peaceful protestors by the Syrian authorities and urged, inter alia, that no reprisals be taken against those taking part in demonstrations, and that the Government launch a credible and impartial investigation and prosecute those responsible for attacks on peaceful protestors. 3. The Council requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to dispatch urgently a mission to the Syrian Arab Republic to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law and to establish the facts and circumstances of such violations and of the crimes perpetrated, with a view to avoiding impunity and ensuring full accountability. 4. In resolution S-16/1, the Council requested the High Commissioner to provide a preliminary report and an oral update on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic at its seventeenth session. It also requested her to submit a follow-up report to the Council at its eighteenth session and, at that session, to organize an interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic. The present report, submitted pursuant to those requests, covers the events in the Syrian Arab Republic since 15 March 2011. 5. Following the sixteenth special session, the High Commissioner established a mission consisting of 13 members and headed by the Deputy High Commissioner.1 The mission began its work on 23 May 2011. 2. Dialogue with the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic 6. In a note verbale dated 6 May 2011, the High Commissioner formally requested the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to cooperate with the mission. Having received no response from the Government on this matter, the High Commissioner reiterated her request for access to the country in another note verbale, on 20 May 2011, in a meeting with the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations Office at Geneva on 7 June 2011, and in a letter to the Prime Minister Adel Safar, on 15 July 2011, to which was annexed a series of questions and requests for information on issues relating to detentions and the administration of justice; torture and ill-treatment; investigations into incidents of killings; and reform measures (annex I). 7. At the time of writing, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic had not responded to the requests for access. OHCHR received five notes verbales from the 1 The members of the mission included officials with substantive, technical and administrative expertise in the relevant fields, including human rights investigation, public order issues, forensic expertise and country knowledge. 3