New York

13 September 2019

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General - on UN Board of Inquiry in northwest Syria

As announced on 1 August, the Secretary-General has established an internal United Nations Headquarters Board of Inquiry to investigate a series of incidents that have occurred in northwest Syria since the signing of the Memorandum on Stabilization of the Situation in the Idlib De-escalation Area between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey on 17 September 2018.
 
The Board will be led by Lieutenant General Chikadibia Obiakor (Nigeria) and will also include as its other members Ms. Janet Lim (Singapore) and Ms. Marta Santos Pais (Portugal).  The Board will review and investigate a number of specific incidents in which there was destruction of, or damage to, facilities on the UN deconfliction list and UN-supported facilities in the area. The work of the Board will be supported by two senior experts - Major General Fernando Ordóñez (Peru) and Mr. Pierre Ryter, former International Committee of the Red Cross – Head of Regional Delegation (Switzerland). 
 
The Board will commence its work on 30 September 2019. It will ascertain the facts of the specific incidents concerned and report to the Secretary-General once it completes its work. 
 
The Secretary-General urges all parties concerned to extend their full cooperation to the Board.