Geneva, Feb. 26 (SANA) Syria told the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday that its commitment to human rights is a “genuine national obligation” shaped by decades of hardship, pledging to strengthen institutions and prevent a return to past abuses.
Addressing the Council during its high-level segment in Geneva, the Syrian delegation said Damascus’ engagement is aimed at supporting institutional reform and ensuring sustainable protection of rights “away from polarization,” through dialogue and technical cooperation that respects national sovereignty.
The head of delegation recalled that Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani had addressed the Council last year, representing a people who had “freed themselves from one of the most repressive regimes in modern history,” and vowed those systematic violations of the past would not recur.
Institutional reforms and cooperation
Syria said it has begun rebuilding the rule of law following the fall of the former regime, adopting judicial and institutional reforms and opening the country to international human rights mechanisms. It noted that the Council adopted its Syria resolution by consensus in April 2025 for the first time since 2011.
The delegation said the International Commission of Inquiry on Syria had entered the country for the first time, while the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) conducted two visits. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also expanded its presence in Damascus in December 2024 after more than a decade.
It added that cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had progressed to full information exchange, and that Syria marked Human Rights Day with the United Nations for the first time.
Accountability and equal citizenship
The delegation highlighted constitutional provisions banning torture, enforced disappearance and exceptional courts, alongside new codes of conduct for military and police personnel and expanded training in international humanitarian law.
It also cited a 2026 decree recognizing the cultural and linguistic rights of Syrian Kurds, describing diversity as a source of national strength and equal citizenship as the foundation for social cohesion.
Syria reaffirmed its commitments under international conventions, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and said women’s empowerment is being integrated into recovery efforts. It noted the launch of the “Back to Learning” campaign with UNICEF and the reinstatement of 15,000 teachers dismissed under the former authorities.
A special committee was formed to rehabilitate children in detention camps in northeastern Syria and reintegrate them into their communities.
Security, stability and challenges
The delegation said the government has worked to unify institutions and restore stability in several regions, contributing to the return of refugees and internally displaced persons and preventing dozens of terrorist attacks, while participating in the international coalition against ISIS.
It acknowledged “painful incidents” in the coastal region and Sweida last year, saying investigations found they were not state policy but the result of sectarian tensions and external interference. More than 560 suspects were referred to the judiciary.
Syria said reconstruction efforts after five decades of authoritarian rule are hampered by extensive destruction and economic hardship, with 90 percent of the population living below the poverty line and rebuilding costs estimated at more than $216 billion.
The delegation also condemned continued Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, describing them as violations of international law that undermine civilian rights and regional stability.
The 61st session of the Human Rights Council opened on Monday in Geneva with broad international participation, including U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.
