Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to work with (a) other donors and (b) the UNHCR to strengthen support for (i) mechanisms to monitor the protection situation in Syria and (ii) the conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified returns in that country.

The UK, along with the likeminded international community, continue to call upon all parties to the conflict in Syria to uphold International Humanitarian Law and protect civilians. The UK supports humanitarian, accountability and legal organisations to monitor, document, report, gather evidence on and investigate human rights and international humanitarian law violations.

Whilst the UK Government hopes that Syrian refugees will, ultimately, be able to return home, we agree with the UN judgement that conditions in Syria do not currently allow this. We are engaged with UNHCR on its framework review which will address these issues more closely. However, only a political solution under UN Security Council Resolution 2254 can ensure conditions safe for returns. UN Envoy Geir Pedersen has our full support in this effort.