Submission to the 40th session of the Universal Periodic Review

Introduction

1. CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) is a human rights organisation specialising in the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. Together with CSW-Nigeria and CSW-USA, this joint submission seeks to draw attention to the situation of FoRB and other intersecting human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic since the country’s second Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

Recommendations from the Second Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

2. Syria received 239 recommendations during its second UPR, 158 of which were accepted and 81 noted. Of these, very few related specifically to FoRB. Syria accepted one recommendation from Nicaragua which urged the state to “preserve its model of peaceful coexistence of different religious faiths and cultural identities” and “continue raising awareness about the dangers of excluding ideologies”. Syria also accepted a recommendation from Canada to “immediately release human rights defenders (HRDs) and other prisoners of conscience, particularly those detained and imprisoned for participating in peaceful demonstrations since March 2011”, yet rejected a recommendation from Australia to “cease the unacceptable practices of unlawful detention and torture, allow in independent observers and immediately release all prisoners of conscience.“ Syria also rejected a number of other recommendations calling for an end to the widespread practices of enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and the use of sexual violence, torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in its detention centres.

3. While recommendations given to combat terrorism, and to take concrete measures to prevent sexual violence against women and girls and guarantee assistance for victims were widely accepted by the state, there is little evidence that these recommendations have been implemented, and abuse of these rights have continued.

4. In addition, recommendations accepted by Syria to ratify the Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED), and to become party to the Optional Protocols to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR-OP) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW-OP) are yet to be implemented.

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