Despite ten years of western sanctions on Syria, the Syrian regime has managed to survive and adapt to pressure. Sanctions were imposed on the Syrian regime as a response to its human rights violations since the beginning of the popular Syrian uprising in 2011.

In the presence of sanctions and other prevailing risks, Western actors conducting business in Syria have been limited. However, Russian, Iranian, and Chinese companies are interested - or have expressed interest - in conducting business in Syria.

Nearly 11 years after it brutally crushed protesters calling for freedom and democracy, the Syrian regime is still escaping justice for crimes against humanity. Over 350,000 civilians have been killed and 7 million more fled the country, yet in the past year Arab states – including key US allies – have moved to restore ties with the Assad regime.

We call upon the international community to publicly condemn and reject Israel’s designation of Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations as “terrorist organizations” as an internationally wrongful act, to call for Israel to immediately rescind the designation.

We, the undersigned organizations, call on United Nations’ Secretary General, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the international community, in particular the EU, France, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom, to exercise their power to prevent the forced return of Syrian refugees under duress or pressure from Lebanon to Syria. Syria is not yet safe for the return of refugees as returnees are at risk of detention, torture, and even death.

We, the undersigned Syrian organisations, in Syria and abroad, call upon Bashar al-Assad to end the Syria sanctions programmes immediately. Assad holds the keys to ending the sanctions by engaging genuinely in the political process outlined by in the UN Security Council resolution 2254, ending human rights violations and submitting to the pillars of genuine justice.

A group of civil society organizations concerned with Syrian affairs demands the immediate disclosing of the fate of the four activists kidnapped in the Douma incident in December 2013, holding the kidnappers accountable, and having the international stakeholders in the Syrian issue bear their responsibilities.

Through an invitation by the Syrian and Russian governments, a conference is being held in Damascus on the return of Syrian refugees and displaced persons. This conference also coincides with a military escalation campaign led by the two governments in northwestern Syria.

After nine years of politicizing and weaponizing health and health services in Syria, the response to the Corona pandemic must not be politicized nor used to overlook crimes committed in Syria.

Baytna had an energetic start to 2019 after the excellent results of 2018, and aspired to achieve even better and more impactful results that year. However, the year proved to be more challenging than expected.

Having in mind the great results of 2017, Baytna Syria started 2018 with energy to achieve even better and more impactful results. However, the year provided to be more challenging than expected. First of all, Baytna Syria worked on optimizing its structure by reducing 7 positions to ensure a lean, cost efficient and strong performing organization. The new Org chart will be as [in the report]. Attracting and retaining talent remained a challenge throughout the year.

Baytna Syria started the New Year of 2016 for the first time as an independent Syrian-led organization with a fresh organizational structure and a busy agenda, looking forward to running its programs efficiently, while being open to new projects in the upcoming months.

Baytna Syria started the New Year of 2016 for the first time as an independent Syrian-led organization with a fresh organizational structure and a busy agenda, looking forward to running its programs efficiently, while being open to new projects in the upcoming months.