You've undoubtedly seen the photos of the refugees fleeing Syria in unprecedented numbers as the civil war enters its fifth year.

Syrian refugees are fleeing unspeakable violence, devastation and terror in their country. There are strong indications that some of this may meet the official definition of genocide – in fact, many world leaders have already agreed on this.

But what does this actually mean, and how can we in the UK help the millions whose misery fills our screens?

It’s clear that horrendous things are happening in Syria and parts of Iraq – abductions, horrific sexual abuse of women and girls, bombing and massacres of civilians, and the targeting of religious and ethnic minorities.

There have been claims that some of what’s happening could be acts of genocide – and if that’s the case, then the international community would
be legally obliged to intervene. If an internationally-recognised panel of experts examines the evidence and rules that genocide is indeed taking place, then UN member states (this includes nearly every country in the world) have a duty to take the necessary steps to prevent further acts of genocide, and to prosecute the perpetrators.

Genocide is the deliberate and systematic attempt to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group either ‘in whole or in part’. It’s the most serious crime under international law, and is defined in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.

The UN Commission of Inquiry into Syria consistently reports that war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed by every armed factions. These too are major crimes under international law. However, while, there is strong evidence that Daesh (Islamic State) may have
committed acts of genocide against Iraq’s Yazidi community, there’s still a dispute about whether acts of genocide have also been committed
against Christians and other religious minorities and ethnic groups in both Syria and Iraq.

We need you to urge the UK Prime Minister to use the UK’s position on the UN Security Council to initiate an official investigation into genocide in Syria. A definitive ruling will compel the world to
take action.

The European Parliament and US State Department have already recognised Daesh’s crimes as genocide and many MPs and Lords have called for this recognition by the UK.

But the truth is that world leaders calling it genocide won’t change anything. If we want governments to act, we must push for a UN Security Council resolution establishing an independent legal mechanism to determine whether genocide is indeed taking place – and if it is, what concrete action will be taken to help the millions who living under threat of genocide.