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October 30, 2025 Human rights

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic warned today that renewed violence is undermining hopes for stability that emerged after the fall of Syria's previous government last year.

Human rights violations

The commission expressed deep concern that ongoing mass killings and human rights violations, including those reportedly committed by members of the interim government's security forces, could drag the country back into conflict.

Photo UN/J-M. Ferrier

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Commission Chair Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro called on the interim Syrian authorities and UN member states to address the root causes of the recent violence and prevent its recurrence.

"Syria's future hangs in the balance, and the country urgently needs assistance that goes far beyond the humanitarian plan, which itself remains woefully underfunded," Pinheiro said.

The return of refugees

Since December 2024, more than a million Syrian refugees have returned home, "swept up in an unprecedented wave of optimism," the Commission said in a statement. This progress was made possible by the creation of a new transitional justice body and a National Authority for Missing Persons, which experts called "critical steps toward justice for victims."

In addition, the interim authorities granted the Commission members full access to various regions of the country, including Latakia, Tartus, As-Suwayda and the surrounding areas.

However, according to Pinheiro, “despite the positive steps taken by the government towards state-building, repeated outbreaks of violence are alarming and call into question the ability of the interim authorities to end the entrenched cycles of violence in Syria.”

Mass executions

In March, an estimated 1,400 men, women and children were killed in massacres in the governorates of Latakia, Tartus and Hama, in some cases involving members of the interim government's security forces.

© OCHA/A.H.Suleiman

A new cycle of violence began after coordinated attacks by forces loyal to the former government. Armed individuals filmed gross human rights violations against the Alawite population, including executions and the bodies of murdered and burned people lying in the streets.

“It is alarming that the Commission continues to receive reports of extrajudicial killings, torture, ill-treatment and forced displacement of Alawite civilians in Damascus and the western governorates,” Pinheiro said.

The investigation continues

The Commission's investigations are ongoing, but it is already clear that the humanitarian needs of displaced communities, including Druze and Bedouin, are enormous and require urgent action ahead of winter.

Violence against women

Pinheiro also expressed growing concern about cases of violence and discrimination against women, citing numerous reports of abductions of women and girls by unknown armed groups. Some were reportedly subjected to sexual violence and forced marriages. Families claim that local authorities are taking no steps to investigate these disappearances.

Bringing the guilty to justice

According to the Commission Chair, further decisive and concrete steps must be taken to hold perpetrators accountable and restore trust between the state and the affected communities. This includes combating incitement, both online and offline, which fuels violence on the coast, in As-Suwayda, and elsewhere. Such hateful rhetoric, coupled with a sense of impunity following repeated massacres, is deeply alarming: there is a risk of a new surge in violence unless urgent reform and prevention measures are taken.

© OCHA/A.H.Suleiman

"The transitional authorities face enormous challenges, and they require the attention, support and resources of Member States to address them," Pinheiro stressed.

External intervention

The Commission also expressed grave concern about external interference, calling on Member States to take urgent measures to prevent the forced displacement and arbitrary detention of civilians as a result of Israel's advance into southern Syria last December, as well as ongoing Israeli airstrikes. "Such actions by third parties risk further escalating the conflict and exacerbating the suffering of the Syrian people," the statement said.

Tensions also remain in northeastern Syria, where clashes were reported in Aleppo and at the Tishreen Dam in early October.

Effective institutions

“A secure, rights-respecting Syria, reflecting the country’s rich mosaic of religious and ethnic communities, requires strong, inclusive, and effective state institutions rooted in human rights and the rule of law,” Pinheiro said.

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October 30, 2025 Human rights

Unilateral sanctions and their enforcement measures are increasingly undermining the realization of the right to education and other academic rights around the world, according to a new report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures Elena Dovgan.

A document presented to the General Assembly in October assesses the impact of sanctions on access to education, scientific resources, and international academic cooperation. According to Dovgan, sanctions limit the supply of educational materials and technologies, degrade the quality of education, lead to a "brain drain," and discrimination based on nationality or origin. This affects not only the countries targeted by sanctions but also the countries that initiate them and third countries.

“Unilateral sanctions, the means by which they are applied, and their excessive enforcement undermine the right to education, the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress, and academic freedom worldwide, including in countries imposing sanctions,” Dovgan said, speaking during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Global implications for education

The report cites numerous examples: in Cuba, the number of university professors fell from 54,078 in 2021 to 50,298 in 2024, with a disproportionately large decrease for women, from 32,807 to 21,611; in Zimbabwe, the state education budget was cut; in Venezuela, the Ministry of Education's budget was cut by nearly 90 percent, leading to mass student dropouts and the destruction of infrastructure. In Iran and Syria, sanctions have made it difficult to purchase lab equipment and textbooks, and access to online platforms like Coursera, edX, and others is often blocked by IP addresses.

In Russia, Belarus, and several other countries, sanctions restrict access to international academic programs such as Erasmus and Horizon. There have been cases of refusal to participate in joint projects, restrictions on academic mobility, student visa revocations, and deportation of enrolled students. In many cases, restrictions are imposed solely on the basis of citizenship or country of origin, without individual assessment. Furthermore, financial sanctions often make it difficult to pay for applications, certificates, and tests, further limiting access to international education.

According to the report, there have been repeated reports of reluctance by publishers based in sanctioning countries to supply printed materials to Cuba, Iran, the Russian Federation, and Belarus, citing fears of prosecution.

Self-censorship and research limitations

Even without being directly subject to sanctions or imposing sanctions, universities and scientists in third countries are forced to comply with restrictions out of fear of reprisals or legal risks.

The Special Rapporteur notes that academics from countries imposing sanctions are often wary of participating in academic events in sanctioned countries or elsewhere if researchers from sanctioned countries are participating, as well as of collaborating with colleagues, publishing joint papers, or even responding to correspondence from organizers. These concerns, she notes, sometimes lead to self-censorship and restrictions on academic freedom. Specifically, she cited the example of Tallinn University, which stripped its former rector of his emeritus status for participating in a conference in Moscow.

Violation of international obligations

The Special Rapporteur emphasized that such measures contravene Articles 13–15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which guarantee the right to education and scientific freedom. Restricting access to knowledge and technology undermines progress in this area, which is unacceptable, the report states.

According to the Special Rapporteur, such actions effectively amount to discrimination on the basis of nationality and hinder the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 4 on quality education and SDG 10 on reducing inequalities.

Appeal to States and International Organizations

Dovgan called on states imposing sanctions to “lift all measures that are not in accordance with international law, including those directed against scientists and academic institutions,” and “ensure that the right to education and academic freedom are not affected by unilateral forms of pressure.”

Responsibility for violations of academic freedom lies with the states that impose sanctions and cannot be shifted to private entities or justified by geopolitical motives, the expert notes.

She also called on UNESCO to establish a mechanism to monitor the impact of sanctions on the right to education and academic freedom and to include these issues in evaluation reports on science and education. The International Labour Organization, she said, should monitor the impact of sanctions on child labor, access to decent work, and vocational training.

Special Rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to examine either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are members of special procedures Human Rights Council. Special procedures experts are not UN staff and are independent of any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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October 30, 2025 UN

The main news of the day at the UN and around the world: aid for victims of Hurricane Melissa, a massive strike on several regions of Ukraine, the inadmissibility of nuclear testing, and the worsening situation in Sudan.

The aftermath of Hurricane Melissa

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas, and also impacted Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and parts of Central America. The hurricane damaged homes, infrastructure, and crops, and severely damaged medical facilities. The UN and its partners are providing assistance to the population. The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a delivery operation to deliver humanitarian aid, including food, from a regional logistics hub in Barbados.

Strikes against Ukraine

On the night of October 29-30, Russian armed forces again launched a massive combined attack on several regions of Ukraine. Civilian objects were damaged, and emergency power outages were imposed in several regions of the country, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. According to preliminary data, at least two civilians were killed and 23 people were injured in Zaporizhzhia, including six children. Civilian casualties were also recorded in the Kyiv and Vinnytsia regions: a seven-year-old girl was killed and five people were injured.

Nuclear tests

"Nuclear testing must not be allowed under any circumstances," UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said, commenting on US President Donald Trump's announcement Thursday, at a journalist's request, of his intention to resume nuclear testing for the first time in decades. Haq recalled that the UN Secretary-General has repeatedly stated that nuclear risks are already extremely high, and any actions that could lead to miscalculation or escalation with catastrophic consequences must be ruled out. The UN also urges that the devastating consequences of more than 2,000 nuclear tests conducted over the past 80 years be remembered.

Conflict in Sudan

The situation in Sudan continues to rapidly deteriorate, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Pobi told the Security Council. She spoke, in particular, about new outbreaks of violence in the country. After more than 500 days of siege, the town of El Fasher in North Darfur was captured by the Rapid Reaction Force. Only isolated pockets of resistance remain. This event, Pobi noted, marked a turning point, changing the balance of power in the region. Other parts of the country are also suffering from fighting. There are reports of mass crimes, ethnic violence, and violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.