UN experts urge Syria to suspend laws linked to displacement
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – United Nations experts on Thursday urged Syria’s Transitional Government to suspend laws that contributed to widespread property dispossession and displacement under the previous regime and begin a process to review and replace them.
The experts specifically raised concerns over Decree No. 66 of 2012 and Law No. 10 of 2018, saying the legislation favored the property interests of a wealthy minority at the expense of the housing rights of families with average or limited incomes.
“Under the previous regime, Decree No. 66 (2012) and Law No. 10 (2018) privileged property interests of a wealthy minority at the expense of the housing rights of families of average or modest means,” the experts said.
They said the laws resulted in the widespread displacement and dispossession of thousands of Syrian families for the benefit of a privileged elite.
The experts called on the transitional government and the newly established People’s Assembly to initiate a review of the legislation and replace it with regulations consistent with international human rights standards.
They also urged Syrian authorities to ensure that the country’s future Constitution explicitly recognizes and protects the right to adequate housing.
The experts noted that the 2025 Constitutional Declaration protects the right to property and recognizes the importance of private and family life under Articles 13, 14 and 20 but does not mention the right to adequate housing.
Article 48 of the Constitutional Declaration states that exceptional laws that harmed Syrians and are inconsistent with human rights should be considered canceled. However, the experts said the government has not provided an exhaustive list of laws covered by the provision.
“As a result, we can only conclude for now that the previous legislation remains the law of the land,” they said.
The UN experts welcomed efforts to advance reconstruction and address arbitrary displacement and dispossession but warned that redevelopment plans were facing administrative and financial delays.
They said the delays risked prolonging the deprivation faced by internally displaced people, refugees and the families of missing and detained Syrians.
The experts stressed that addressing housing and property rights must form part of a broader transitional justice process.
“A transitional justice approach to peace and reconciliation in Syria requires addressing the socio-economic root causes of the conflict and discredit of the political class,” they said.
They described Syria’s current transition as a historic opportunity to transform one of the world’s largest displacement crises into an inclusive and sustainable recovery, calling for international support.
The experts said they had written to Syria’s transitional government to raise their concerns and urged authorities to place international human rights standards at the center of the country’s social, institutional and architectural reconstruction.