HRW urges legal protections as billions flow into Syria reconstruction

Human Rights Watch (HRW) cautioned global leaders that Syria's reconstruction is moving forward without a rights-based legal framework. HRW says that could leave many Syrians with unfair outcomes over their homes, land, and access to remedies, even as governments and private companies commit large sums for rebuilding.

HRW field researchers documented locations where essential services are still missing and where destruction and unclear legal processes put residents' rights at risk. Examples include Ghadfa, where people lack running water, electricity, housing, schools, and medical facilities, and Jobar in Damascus, where roughly 95 percent of buildings were destroyed.

HRW reported redevelopment projects beginning without community consultation, clear compensation rules, or accessible grievance procedures. The organization warned that current drafting of reconstruction laws will determine who gets rebuilt, whose claims are recognized, and whose voices are heard.

HRW urged Syria's transitional government to implement Article 12 of the March 2025 Constitutional Declaration, which pledges protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, within the reconstruction process. Concrete recommendations include:

• Require meaningful community participation before approving projects.
• Set clear, negotiated compensation standards rather than imposed terms.
• Establish independent and accessible grievance and remedy mechanisms.
• Impose a moratorium on the destruction of disputed property until claims are resolved.

The group also pressed international investors to follow human rights principles and to respect Syria's binding treaty obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). HRW referenced the UN Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development-Based Evictions as guidance for due process and compensation.

Without legal protections, reconstruction can produce outcomes that displace existing residents, deny valid property claims, or rebuild areas in ways that benefit outside investors rather than affected communities. Given the scale of finance now available for Syria's recovery, HRW frames the drafting phase of reconstruction laws as a narrow window where procedural safeguards can be inserted.

Practical implications for stakeholders

• For Syrian authorities: adopt and apply rights-based rules in final reconstruction legislation, including participation and remedy mechanisms.
• For international investors and lenders: attach human rights conditions to projects and funding, and support independent complaint mechanisms.
• For returning residents and civil society: document claims, seek legal assistance where possible, and press for transparent processes.