A/HRC/33/55 I. Introduction 1. In the present report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 31/17, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic presents its findings based on investigations conducted from 10 January to 20 July 2016.1 The present report should be read in conjunction with previous reports of the Commission. 2 A. Challenges 2. The Commission’s investigations remain curtailed by the denial of access to the Syrian Arab Republic. B. Methodology 3. The methodology employed by the Commission was based on standard practices of commissions of inquiry and human rights investigations. The Commission relied primarily on first-hand accounts. 4. The information contained herein is based on interviews conducted in the region and from Geneva. Since September 2011, the Commission has conducted 4,575 interviews. 5. Photographs, video recordings, satellite imagery and medical records were collected and analysed. Reports from Governments and non-governmental sources, academic analyses and United Nations reports formed part of the investigation. 6. The standard of proof is met when the Commission has reasonable grounds to believe that incidents occurred as described. II. Conflict dynamics 7. In February 2016, various parties to the conflict reached an agreement to reduce violence in the country. The cessation of hostilities agreement offered hope that a path to ending the armed conflict was possible. Led by the United States of America and the Russian Federation, the International Syria Support Group brokered this agreement between government forces and anti-Government armed groups. It had the dual focus of instituting an immediate suspension of fighting and facilitating humanitarian access to besieged and hard-to-reach areas. Terrorist organizations listed by the United Nations were not party to the agreement. 8. Humanitarian aid deliveries became possible to several besieged and hard-to-reach areas. Since late February, life-saving treatments have been delivered to besieged areas, benefiting more than 1.5 million civilians. A United Nations-led task force operating within the cessation of hostilities agreement framework has monitored humanitarian aid access and helped to facilitate expanded access for aid agencies to locations that had previously been cut-off. By 29 June, all 18 besieged neighbourhoods had received humanitarian assistance at least once in 2016 — the first time since November 2012 that humanitarian assistance 1 2 The commissioners are Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro (Chair), Vitit Muntarbhorn, Carla Del Ponte and Karen Koning AbuZayd. A/HRC/S-17/2/Add.1, A/HRC/19/69, A/HRC/21/50, A/HRC/22/59 and Corr.1, A/HRC/23/58, A/HRC/24/46, A/HRC/25/65, A/HRC/27/60, A/HRC/30/48 and Corr.1 and A/HRC/31/68. 3