{"id":30985,"date":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/csw-yeo.1wp.site\/reports\/syria-submission-to-the-54th-session-of-the-universal-periodic-review-6877\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T19:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T18:44:09","slug":"syria-submission-to-the-54th-session-of-the-universal-periodic-review-6877","status":"publish","type":"reports","link":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/reports\/syria-submission-to-the-54th-session-of-the-universal-periodic-review-6877\/","title":{"rendered":"Syria: submission to the 54th session of the Universal Periodic Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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1. CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) and CSW-Nigeria are human rights organisations specialising in the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). This joint submission, prepared ahead of The Syrian Arab Republic\u2019s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR), outlines critical rights issues pertaining to FoRB in the country during the reporting period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous Universal Periodic Review<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Under President Bashir al-Assad, Syria supported 207 out of 287 recommendations and noted or rejected 80 during the third UPR cycle. Accepted recommendations included calls to \u2018conduct a review of national laws and repeal any provisions that are discriminatory against ethnic and religious minorities\u20191<\/sup>; to \u2018preserve coexistence between all cultural and religious components of Syrian society\u20192<\/sup>; to \u2018involve fully all religious and ethnic groups in a transparent and inclusive negotiating process with a view to building a peaceful future\u20193<\/sup>, and to end attacks against civilians and protected civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and humanitarian facilities, and end all restrictions on religious freedoms for Christians and other minorities.\u20194<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. However, the government\u2019s decision to reject multiple recommendations to end enforced disappearances, abductions, arbitrary arrests and detention, extrajudicial killings, systematic use of torture, and sexual and gender-based violence were telling, and indicative of the widespread and systematic violations of international human rights and humanitarian law meted out during the al-Assad era, including those amounting to crimes against humanity and war crimes, as reported by the United Nations (UN) Commission of Inquiry on Syria (COI Syria).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 (CEDAWOP) are yet to be implemented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommendation to the Syrian Arab Republic:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Implement outstanding recommendations accepted<\/i>during the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Significant political changes<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. During the reporting period, there have been significant political changes in Syria. For 54 years the al-Assad family ruled Syria, supported by Russian and Iranian military. Violations committed during this time include routine enforced disappearance, torture, extrajudicial execution, as well as modern-day sieges, and extreme military force, including aerial bombardment, and the use of heavy artillery and chemical weapons. Mass displacement and the lack of humanitarian access was further exacerbated by T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s refusal to allow refugees across its borders with Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. On 27 November 2024 a coalition of rebel militias led by the Islamist armed group Hay\u2019at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a surprise attack and managed to take the northern city of Aleppo, the second largest in Syria. They swept south very quickly, taking the cities of Hama and Homs within a few days, and causing the army to retreat. On 8 December 2024 the HTS reached Damascus, forcing Assad to flee to Moscow,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Syria used to be divided into three entities: areas under government control, areas controlled by Islamists loyal to T\u00fcrkiye, and the North-East which was under selfadministration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, following the takeover by HTS and a major offensive in early 2026 in which the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeast ceded much of their territories to Damascus, the central transitional government now holds formal control over most of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Since the takeover, HTS has also given repeated assurances of protection and inclusion to religious communities. On 29 March 2025 Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced the formation of a transitional government, appointing members of the Alawite, Christian and Druze communities to ministerial positions in a diverse cabinet. Al-Sharaa stated that the transitional government will remain in power until Syria is able to hold elections, which he said could take up to five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Syria held parliamentary elections on 5 October.5<\/sup> Most new members of the revamped People\u2019s Assembly are Sunni Muslim and male, with an electoral commission spokesperson reporting that only four percent of the 119 members selected in the indirect vote were women and only two Christians were among those elected.6<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. In November President al-Sharaa became the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since the country became independent, after the US removed his terrorist designation. The administration agreed to a 180-day suspension of the imposition of US sanctions under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act,7<\/sup> amid reports that Syria would be joining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS,8<\/sup> and would move forward with a plan to integrate the Kurdish-led SDF into the Syrian army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. CSW tentatively welcomes the transitional government\u2019s cooperation with the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syrian Arab Republic (COI Syria). This positive development stands in contrast to the recommendation rejected by the Assad government during the third UPR cycle, which urged the government to \u2018ensure access to the Syrian Arab Republic for humanitarian assistance and independent human rights monitors, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, to investigate all human rights abuses and violations.\u20199<\/sup> In March 2026, the COI Syria made an official visit to the country and \u2018noted progress in developing a transitional justice law, and the start of trials in relation to Assad government-era human rights and international humanitarian law violations.\u201910<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the takeover, tens of thousands of political prisoners have also been released from prison. In 2025, the COI Syria published a conference room paper detailing \u2018the web of agony\u2019 caused by enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, torture and illtreatment of Syrians by the Assad government, acts which \u2018amounted to widespread, gross violations of human rights and crimes against humanity and since the emergence of armed conflict, violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes.\u201911<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. However, they also expressed concern, following their visit to the country regarding a lack of progress in ensuring detainees are held lawfully in humane conditions, especially in the north and north east, many of whom are children, and regarding the transfer of detainees to Iraq, including \u2018an indeterminate number of vulnerable children\u2019.12<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To read the submission in full, here is the pdf.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. <\/sup>United Nations, Report of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review: Syrian Arab Republic, 31 March 2022, https:\/\/docs.un.org\/en\/A\/HRC\/50\/6 (Recommendation 133.89 from Lithuania); United Nations, Report of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review: Syrian Arab Republic, Addendum, \u2018A\/HRC\/50\/6\/Add.1, 1 June 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Ibid, Recommendation 133.90 from Lebanon<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Ibid, Recommendation 133.93 Holy See<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Ibid, Recommendation 133.109 from Ecuador<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. <\/sup>The chamber has 210 seats. Two-thirds of lawmakers were chosen last year by regional electoral colleges chosen by the authorities, while President al-Sharaa appointed the remaining 70 members. Nationwide elections were not feasible because of the complex logistical challenges created by years of conflict, including inaccurate population records. After only six seats were won by women and 10 by minority candidates, President Sharaa used his appointments to address the imbalance; 15 of the new lawmakers are women and 13 were imprisoned during the rule of Bashar Al-Assad. On 12 July 2026, the chamber convened its first session and elected a speaker and two deputy speakers, one of whom is a female christian member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Al Jazerra, ‘Syria shares results of parliamentary election and inclusivity concerns,’ 6 October 2025, https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/6\/syria-declares-results-of-1st-parliamentary-poll-amid-inclusivity-concerns<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. US Department of State, \u2018Sanctions Relief that Gives the Syrian People a Chance at Greatness\u2019, 10 November 2025, https:\/\/www.state.gov\/releases\/office-of-the-spokesperson\/2025\/11\/sanctions-relief-that-gives-the-syrian-people-a-chance-at-greatness\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Reuters, \u2018Syria signs cooperation declaration with Global Coalition to Defeat Islamic State, minister says\u2019, 10 November 2025 , https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/syria-signs-cooperation-declaration-with-global-coalition-defeat-islamic-state-2025-11-10\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. United Nations, Report of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review: Syrian Arab Republic, 31 March 2022, https:\/\/docs.un.org\/en\/A\/HRC\/50\/6 (Recommendation 133.51 from Lithuania); United Nations, Report of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review: Syrian Arab Republic, Addendum, \u2018A\/HRC\/50\/6\/Add.1, 1 June 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. United Nations, \u2018UN Syria Commission concludes latest visit to Syria, 8 July 2026, https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/statements-and-speeches\/2026\/07\/unsyria-commission-concludes-latest-visit-syria?sub-site=HRC; United Nations, \u2018Syria: UN Commission of Inquiry completes Syria mission in midst regional clashes, encouraging respect for human rights\u2019, 6 March 2026, https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/press-releases\/2026\/03\/syria-un-commission-inquiry-completessyria-mission-midst-regional-clashes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. United Nations, Independent International Commission of Inquiry, Syria: Conference Room Paper: \u2018Web of Agony: Arbitrary Detention, Torture, and Ill Treatment by former Government forces in the Syrian Arab Republic (Companion Report to A\/HRC\/46\/55)\u2019, 27 January 2025, https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/hrbodies\/hrcouncil\/sessions-regular\/session58\/A-HRC-58-CRP-3.pdf<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. Ibid<\/i><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) and CSW-Nigeria are human rights organisations specialising in the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":44980,"template":"","categories":[],"regions":[145,150],"class_list":["post-30985","reports","type-reports","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","regions-middle-east-north-africa","regions-syria"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reports\/30985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reports"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reports"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reports\/30985\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37175,"href":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reports\/30985\/revisions\/37175"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30985"},{"taxonomy":"regions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/regions?post=30985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}