At the invitation of the British Foreign Office to attend a summit in London on ending sexual violence against women in the world, the Syrian Coalition sent an official delegation headed by Nora Al Ameer, vice president of the Syrian Coalition. The delegation also included the Minister of Culture and the Family Affairs in the interim government Taghrid al-Hadjli, and member of the Syrian Coalition and the Kurdish National Council Havaron Sharif, in addition to the former detainee Asmaa’ al-Faraj. The delegation attended the official meetings and also had a series of side meetings, most notably with the British minister for the Middle East and North Africa. The Syrian delegation stressed that the Syrian people have lost hope in the UN Security Council as the efforts aimed at saving the Syrian people were blocked by the Russian and Chinese vetoes. The delegation also highlighted the need for making international decisions in all areas, including giving support for the women who were the victims of violence and most importantly the Syrian women who are still in detention and constantly suffering. Furthermore, the delegation called for making international resolutions to neutralize the regime’s air force, which is raining death not only on women but also all the Syrian people in general. The British Minister reiterates his country’s support for the Syrian revolution and the demands of the Syrian people for change, pointing out that the UN Security Council is now disabled and that they are seeking with the Friends of Syria to provide solutions and activate support for the Syrian revolution. The delegation also met with the U.S ambassador for Women’s Affairs Radhika Prabhu and talked about the suffering of the Syrian people and the role of Syrian women in many aspects of the revolution, and discussed ways to empower Syrian women economically, socially and politically. The U.S Ambassador expressed concern about extremist groups such as ISIS which do not bear any positive outlook for women but violate their freedoms and rights. Al Ameer delivered a speech at the ministerial meeting, which focused on the progress in the fight against sexual violence, accountability and transitional justice. She is also talked about the participation of the Syrian women and in various fields and how they were met with violence and violations by regime forces and ISIS. (Source: Coalition)
