Blogs and statements
Between Opportunities and Responsibilities: How Can Companies Invest Responsibly in Syria?
Jun 1, 2026 | | This post is also available in: Arabic As Syria gradually reopens economically, regional businesses are increasingly exploring opportunities in sectors such as construction, infrastructure, telecommunications, transport, logistics, energy, and real estate. For many companies, Syria represents a potentially important post-conflict market with significant long-term demand. Yet Syria is not a […]
Privatization & Human Rights: Risks in Syria’s Healthcare Debate
May 15, 2026 | | This post is also available in: Arabic In early April 2026, statements by Talal Al-Hilali, head of the Syrian Investment Authority, set off a wave of public alarm. Al-Hilali indicated that the state owns 71 public hospitals and is moving toward granting them to the private sector in partnership with […]
Syrian Civil Society Groups Propose Framework for Effective Criminal Accountability Amid Ongoing Trials
May 12, 2026 | | This post is also available in: Arabic 12 May 2026: A coalition of 27 Syrian civil society organisations and victims’ groups has released a new report outlining a proposed framework for criminal accountability in Syria, at a time when trials are beginning to take place in Damascus. The report, Pathways […]
Position Paper On the Transitional Justice Process and Cooperation with the National Transitional Justice Commission
April 27, 2026 | | This post is also available in: Arabic The undersigned Syrian victims’ associations and civil society organizations affirm that transitional justice constitutes a fundamental pillar of any serious path toward building sustainable peace and stability in Syria. It is impossible to envision a genuine political and social transition toward a state […]
Rebuilding Syria: Why Reconstruction Must Be Human Rights-Centred
April 15, 2026 | | This post is also available in: Arabic After more than a decade of conflict, Syria is entering a phase where reconstruction is no longer a distant prospect but an emerging reality. Cities and towns across the country bear the marks of prolonged violence and economic collapse. The scale of destruction […]
The Closure of Oil Burners in Deir ez-Zur: Between Environmental Protection and the Right to Livelihood
April 1, 2026 | | This post is also available in: Arabic In northeastern Syria, oil burners, primitive machines used to refine extracted oil and separate its derivatives, were transformed during the years of war from an emergency solution for securing fuel into a parallel economy that produces chronic pollution, health risks, and workplace accidents, […]
Rebuilding with Integrity: How Digital Governance Could Help Curb Corruption in Syria
March 15, 2026 | | This post is also available in: Arabic After decades of authoritarian rule under the Assad regime, Syria faces the immense task of rebuilding institutions weakened by systemic corruption, opaque governance, and widespread economic crimes. For many Syrians, the transition now underway represents more than a political turning point—it is an […]
Marota City Is Not a Model for Syria’s Reconstruction
March 1, 2026 | | This post is also available in: Arabic Displacement and Suspended Property Rights When the Marota (and Basilia) City project was announced in Damascus in 2012, it was presented as the jewel of a new capital: glass towers, luxury apartments, shopping centres, and wide boulevards promising the birth of a “modern” […]
The Current Moment of Contestation Around the Contours of Economic Crimes Creates Opportunities for Victim-Centered Advocacy
Feb 13, 2026 | | This post is also available in: Arabic Introduction As Syria rebuilds and rewrites its social contract, Syrians from different viewpoints and positions engage in active discussion about their vision for the country. One paradigmatic site of contestation is the discussion around how to best address the myriad of economic crimes […]