Syria sanctions should be lifted, but leverage needed to keep transition on track: UN Commission of Inquiry
- 'There is a need to work on a system of a process of justice and accountability, and that will need to be Syrian-led,' says Lynn Welchman
GENEVA 1/31/25
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said on Friday that while restrictions should be eased to alleviate suffering, leverage remains crucial to ensure accountability and progress under the country’s transitional government.
Hanny Megally, a commissioner of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, emphasized the humanitarian toll of sanctions, particularly in the wake of last year’s devastating earthquake, when aid efforts were severely hampered.
"We’ve seen the impact of sanctions being felt more and more by the population," Megally said in a news briefing with the Association of Accredited Correspondents to the UN (ACANU) in Geneva. "During the earthquake, hardly any international aid came in—hardware, etc. And it’s quite shocking to see how limited it was."
He added: "Whether sanctions was a factor or not, we pushed member states and also the UN to look into it and come up with answers so it's not repeated again."
Acknowledging growing calls, including from Syrian civil society, to lift or suspend certain sectoral sanctions, Megally stressed the need for a balanced approach.
"We need to rebuild the country and lift some of those restrictions," he said. "But we also want some leverage to ensure that authorities are moving in the right direction. We need to find a way to immediately lift restrictions on humanitarian assistance while still maintaining pressure points to ensure accountability for past abuses and progress on rights."
The commission’s push for a nuanced sanctions policy came as Syria navigates a fragile transition following years of war and political upheaval.
Commissioner Lynn Welchman, for her part, underscored the importance of preserving evidence of past atrocities, stressing that justice and accountability must be “Syrian-led.”
"For the new government and for Syrians, besides rebuilding the country, one of the most important things will be to ensure that what has happened never happens in Syria again,” she said. “There is a need to work on a system of a process of justice and accountability, and that will need to be Syrian-led."
"We stand ready to assist with anything we are able to do, and we will be engaging as positively and constructively as we can with the new authorities," she added.
The commission, which has faced limited access to Syria since its establishment in 2011, has been engaging with the new authorities to open channels for constructive dialogue.
Welchman expressed cautious optimism, highlighting Syria’s "massive Human Resources" as a key factor in shaping the country’s future.
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