POLISCOPE
Back to feed
Part offoreign policy →
FEDERALhearing transcript
High Impact

Congressional Resolution on Atrocities in Syria

Original title: The Sense of Congress that Those Who Commit or Support Atrocities Against Christians and Other Ethnic and Religious Minorities . . . Are Committing, and Are Hereby Declared to Be Committing, "War Crimes", "Crimes Against Humanity", and "Genocide"; Condemning the Gross Violations of International Law Amounting to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity by the Gov't of Syria, Its Allies, and Other Parties to the Conflict in Syria, and Asking the President to Direct His Ambassador at the U.N. To Promote the Establishment of a War Crimes Tribunal Where These Crimes Could Be Addressed

March 2, 2016

foreign policyhuman rightsSyriawar crimesgenocideUnited Nations

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

The Frame

What this does

This document represents a formal stance by the U.S. Congress regarding international legal definitions of conflict-related violence in Syria and directs executive branch action at the United Nations.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Syrian Government

The resolution formally condemns the government's actions and calls for international legal proceedings against them.

Religious and Ethnic Minorities in Syria

The resolution identifies these groups as the targets of the acts described as war crimes and genocide.

U.S. President

The resolution requests that the President direct the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. to pursue specific diplomatic actions.

What changed

Last recorded activity March 2, 2016.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This resolution formally declares that individuals and groups committing atrocities against religious and ethnic minorities in Syria are engaging in , , and genocide. It calls upon the President to instruct the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations to advocate for the creation of a war crimes tribunal to address these actions.

Key Facts

  • The resolution classifies specific acts against religious and ethnic minorities as genocide and crimes against humanity.
  • It condemns the Syrian government and its allies for violations of international law.
  • It requests the President to utilize the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. to pursue a war crimes tribunal.
  • The document serves as a 'Sense of Congress,' expressing the legislative branch's position on the conflict.

Why It Matters

This document represents a formal stance by the U.S. Congress regarding international legal definitions of conflict-related violence in Syria and directs executive branch action at the United Nations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this resolution have the force of law?
A '' resolution expresses the opinion of the legislative branch but does not carry the same legal weight as a binding statute.
What is the goal of the proposed war crimes tribunal?
The goal is to provide a legal venue to address and prosecute the acts identified as and in Syria.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Formalization of Atrocity Labeling

The resolution marks a shift toward using specific international legal terminology (genocide, war crimes) to categorize the Syrian conflict within the legislative record.

SyriaCongress

Connected Entities

organizationCongress“The legislative body issuing the sense of the resolution.”Map →
locationSyria“The country where the alleged atrocities are occurring.”Map →
personPresident“The executive official requested to direct the U.N. Ambassador.”Map →
organizationUnited Nations“The international body where a war crimes tribunal is proposed to be established”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy75
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment20
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record