UN calls for reassessment of Syria sanctions amid new leadership
International sanctions on Syria face scrutiny as the UN underscores the importance of sovereignty, human rights, and inclusive rebuilding efforts.
The raft of international sanctions on Syria must be reassessed to help the country rebuild following the ousting of Bashar Assad, the head of the UN's migration agency said on Friday.
Amy Pope also said Syria's women must be empowered to play a full role in building a new society and bringing stability to the shattered nation.
The international community has been in no rush to lift sanctions on either Syria or sanctioned people, waiting to see how the new authorities exercise their power.
"In terms of the sanctions, we really are talking about all the sanctions: UN sanctions, US sanctions, other sanctions," said International Organization for Migration chief Pope after visiting the country.
"You can see that across the board the sanctions have had quite a significant effect, especially on vulnerable populations. So to rebuild the situation, there will be a need to re-evaluate those sanctions," she told a press conference in Geneva.
"People do not have access to credit. They are very much reliant on cash. The salaries that people are getting for work are extremely low."
Human rights team to visit Syria
The UN human rights office will send a small team of human rights officers to Syria next week for the first time in years following the overthrow of Bashar Assad, UN spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told a press briefing on Friday.
Under Assad, the UN human rights team has not been allowed in Syria for years, Al-Kheetan said and has been monitoring abuses remotely.
He said that the team would support human rights issues and help ensure that any power transition is "inclusive and within the framework of international law". "It is important for us to start establishing a presence," he said.
Syria's territorial integrity
The UN chief on Friday renewed his call for peace and adherence to international norms in Syria’s occupied Golan Heights in the face of Israel’s incursions.
"In the occupied Syrian Golan, there should be no military forces in the area of separation other than UN peacekeepers – period," Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote on X, tacitly referring to Israel’s recent actions.
He added: "Syria’s sovereignty, territorial unity, and integrity must be fully restored, and all acts of aggression must come to an immediate end."