Soft end of sanctions on Syria would help meet needs, says UN

Concrete moves towards an inclusive political transition in Syria will be fundamental to ensuring that the country receives the economic support it needs, the UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told the organization’s Security Council on Tuesday (17). .

“There is a clear international willingness to engage. The needs are immense and can only be met with broad support, including a smooth end to sanctions, appropriate action on designations as well, and full reconstruction,” he said.

Pedersen and UN aid chief Tom Fletcher briefed the 15-member council from Damascus, where they met with the country’s new leaders after President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by insurgent forces led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

The United States, Britain, the European Union and other countries imposed tough sanctions on Syria after Assad’s crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011 turned into a civil war. But the new reality in Syria is further complicated by sanctions imposed on the Islamic group HTS for its days as an al Qaeda affiliate.

Formerly known as the Nusra Front, HTS was the official branch of al Qaeda in Syria until they severed ties in 2016. In addition to unilateral measures, the group is also on the UN Security Council’s sanctions list against al Qaeda and the Islamic State for more than a decade, subject to a global asset freeze and an arms embargo.

Fletcher called on all countries to ensure that “sanctions and anti-terrorism measures do not impede humanitarian operations” in Syria.

“Syria was already one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world, with 17 million people — more than 70% of the population — in need of support,” he told the council.

There is a humanitarian exemption to UN sanctions on HTS that allows “the provision, processing or payment of funds, other financial assets or economic resources, or the provision of goods and services necessary to ensure the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance or to support other activities that support basic human needs.”

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This content was originally published in A smooth end to sanctions on Syria would help meet needs, says the UN on the CNN Brasil website.

Source: CNN Brasil

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