Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Syria.

​The UK is committed to highlighting the appalling violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Syria and to seeing those responsible for the most serious crimes held to account in the most appropriate jurisdiction. We continue to support the UN Commission of Inquiry's investigations into human rights violations and abuses in Syria and the work of the UN International Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) which is gathering evidence for the prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under international law in Syria. The UK has contributed over £9 million since 2012 in support of Syrian and international efforts to gather evidence and assist victims of human rights abuses and violations, including £950,000 to the IIIM.