Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic about the progress it has made in investigating alleged violations of international law in Syria, and in particular, the alleged use of white phosphorus by Turkey in Northern Syria; and what assessment they have made of the current weapon classification of white phosphorus.

The UK Government has regular discussions with the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the Syrian Arab Republic about its investigations of alleged violations of international law in Syria, and welcomed the Commission's latest report presented to the Human Rights Council in September 2020. As the COI is the international body responsible for investigating alleged violations of international law in Syria, the UK encourages it to investigate all allegations of violations and abuses of international law in Syria. The COI reported on Turkey's 'Operation Peace Spring' in their March 2020 report to the Human Rights Council, including on particular cases of hostilities, and called on the Turkish authorities to launch their own investigations into these and to make the findings public. It did not specifically report on the use of white phosphorus. We have continued to make clear that white phosphorous is a legitimate obscurant, but any targeting of civilians is against International Humanitarian Law.