Syria Takes Vice-Chair Position in UN Committee

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) announced on Thursday that Syria has been appointed as the vice-chairman of the preparatory committee for the United Nations Convention on Crimes against Humanity.

SANA viewed this election as a sign of support from the UN for the normalization of Syria’s current Islamist government, which is led by the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—an al-Qaeda offshoot that rose to power after the ousting of long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad. “Interim” President Ahmed al-Shara has consistently praised the government’s supposed commitments and adopted an Islamist constitution soon after assuming leadership, even with various religious minorities present in the country.

Ibrahim Orabi, the UN Representative for Syria, remarked that the election was a significant vote of confidence in the HTS government, noting that Syria now holds the second-most influential position in the committee, just behind the chairman from Ireland. He stated, “This result reflects member states’ faith in Syria’s role in the World Forum.” Orabi also mentioned the more than ten years of conflict and the accompanying atrocities as pertinent to drafting international laws regarding crimes against humanity. While Syrian government sources have attributed many of these crimes to the previous Assad regime, human rights organizations have documented extensive criminal activities involving various groups, including the Assad regime and rebel factions like HTS.

A representative from Syria conveyed that this election aligns with the country’s strategy to engage diplomatically and utilize its accumulated experiences to contribute positively on the world stage, according to SANA.

Syria’s official title in this role is “Vice-Chairman of the Secretariat of the First Preparatory Committee to the United Nations Plenipotentiary Conference on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity.” This body is responsible for drafting international legal standards that clearly define crimes against humanity. A resolution was passed by the UN General Assembly in November 2024 aimed at establishing this commission, with meetings earmarked for 2027 and 2028. In the meantime, a preparatory committee has been set up for initial planning, where Syria is now in a vice-chair position.

Preparatory discussions for the commission began this year, with the first round of consultations wrapping up on Friday. The General Assembly was tasked with setting the “Rules of Procedure” and organizing the forthcoming main committees, with additional “working groups” anticipated before the full committee convenes.

Although there isn’t a single, legally binding definition of crimes against humanity currently recognized in international law, some scholars argue that these crimes represent absolute norms that can be pursued in any court. Right now, the only court that has international jurisdiction over such offenses is the International Criminal Court (ICC), which prosecutes individuals—not states—for crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes. The ICC identifies various acts that fall under the umbrella of “crimes against humanity,” including murder, rape, enslavement, and apartheid, especially when these occur as part of widespread attacks against civilians.

Interestingly, the United Nations has yet to formally comment on Syria’s recent leadership role. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the situation in Syria during a press conference, particularly in response to questions regarding the ongoing conflict between the Syrian government and the U.S.-allied Kurdish forces known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—which have been highly effective against jihadist groups in the area.

Guterres recognized the historical persecution of the Kurdish people in Syria, commenting, “I think we first need to acknowledge that this issue has been resolved.” He noted that the Syrian government had recently passed a decree granting nationality to all Syrian Kurds. However, Kurdish organizations have accused the regime of ongoing atrocities against them, including gruesome acts like beheadings, particularly following the announcement of this citizenship deal. The distressing images circulating on social media, showing jihadists with claimed severed heads of Kurdish fighters, have fueled widespread anger among the Kurdish community. Guterres, however, characterized the situation as having been addressed.

The United Nations has a history of empowering authoritarian regimes, and criticism has been directed at the Human Rights Council for allowing some of the most repressive governments to hold seats, including nations implicated in acts of genocide.