Letter from our Executive Director
The power of people to come together and have a big impact was the highlight of 2023. Despite many lows over the past 12 months and even as our world has fractured and shifted in fundamental ways, in these times of crisis the dynamic work of survivors, volunteers, civil society organisations, and thousands of campaigners grows in strength and impact.
Like never before, the world’s institutions that are meant to keep us all safe, have failed to protect civilians from bombs. In 2023, impunity truly threatened to become the new world order – a gift to dictators and warmongers across the world. Civilians in Syria – and the first responders who risk their lives to serve them – were abandoned to do what they can, largely alone, in the face of a catastrophic earthquake and growing violence.
Largely driven by the horrors that have unfolded since October 2023, the failure of politicians to step up and defend our joint humanity has been met by a formidable movement of people who advocate more strongly than ever before for the rights and freedom that Palestinians and everyone, no matter where they live, are entitled to.
As a result, the world is experiencing a moment of moral reckoning that is drawing ordinary people from all over to engage, act, and mobilise. Globally, civil society should – and is – capitalising on this momentum. For Syria, new realisations of the magnitude of war crimes committed over the last 12 years are building a stronger, more formidable justice movement, pushing the international multilateral institutions to recommit and re-engage in the push for accountability.
It is a privilege to play our role, bringing together feminist leaders, brave survivors, dedicated campaigners and creative talent to challenge unjust policies and pursue justice for ongoing atrocities in Syria. The impact we were able to have in 2023 and the tireless solidarity of our supporters and donors drives us forward into 2024 when our joint efforts will be needed more than ever before.
Yours sincerely,
Laila Kiki, Executive Director
Together with our partners, we have seen our work have long-lasting impact
1. After years of committed campaigning by survivors and families of detainees, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to establish the world’s first independent, international institution dedicated to uncovering the fate and whereabouts of tens of thousands of forcibly disappeared people in Syria. The institution is testament to the work of survivors, families of the detained and our supporters from around the world who kept the pressure on all UN member states to vote in favour of this institution. It is also a good reminder that change happens when those with firsthand experience are equipped and supported to advocate directly to global powers.
2. The White Helmets and Syrian humanitarian organisations responded to the worst earthquake in living memory, saving lives and supporting thousands of people in the northwest of Syria, worst hit by the earthquakes and more than a decade of aerial attacks. Our supporters from across 191 countries and foundations together donated over $18.8 million in response to our campaign, to help the White Helmets rescue more than 3,000 survivors from collapsed buildings, repair basic infrastructure and public facilities, provide healthcare and support those affected.
3. When the UN failed to respond in the critical first 72 hours and then was slow to send emergency aid to the northwest in the days and weeks following the quake, our calls to open the border crossings and allow aid in, put urgent pressure on the UN to increase the number of trucks able to reach the people that were in desperate need of essential supplies.
4. The International Court of Justice hearing brought by the Governments of Canada and the Netherlands against Syria for its ongoing use of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment opened on 10 October in the Hague. One month later the court ordered Syria to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of torture and other abuses. The hearing builds on years of evidence provided by survivors and collected by Syrian human rights groups, proving the systematic use of torture in detention as one of the regime’s tools to crush dissent and spread fear amongst the population and holding perpetrators to account for their actions. It is thanks to the tireless campaigning of justice and accountability groups that the world’s court is examining a crime that has until recently been neglected by the international community.
5. Assad was forced to stay away from the world’s climate conference in November, despite the host UAE’s invitation to attend. It would have been the Syrian dictator’s first international conference since his violent crackdown on protesters at the start of the revolution followed by a decade of atrocities. International pressure, including our #UninviteAssad campaign, said to the world that there is no place for war criminals on the world stage.
6. We joined survivors of the country’s largest chemical attack in Ghouta to mark ten years of impunity for the regime’s use of chemical weapons. We gathered in cities around the world before asking governments to support the establishment of an exceptional chemical weapons tribunal to prosecute the use of chemical weapons.
“I would like to extend all my thanks and appreciation for all your support in covering the reality of women, enhancing our capabilities, and standing by our side.”
Khadija Alkhatib, White Helmets volunteer
Justice and accountability
“I commend the courageous work of Syrian family, victim, and survivor associations and other civil society groups, together with the effort of many international bodies to chart the path forward. Guided by their views and advice, my report of last August outlined the framework for a solution.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ at the Interactive Dialogue on the Report of the Secretary-General on Missing Persons in Syria, in New York on 28 March 2023
While the campaign for a UN mechanism of Syria’s missing has been running for many years, the work of 2023 helped secure the UN’s decision on June 29th to establish an unprecedented international body aimed at uncovering the fates of over 100,000 disappeared people in Syria’s detention facilities.
In March, we worked with the Truth and Justice Charter Group and Crisis Action to hold meetings in New York ahead of a crucial interactive dialogue at the UN General Assembly. An open letter called on UN member states to table a resolution to establish the institution and was backed by at least 90 family and survivor groups, NGOs and civil society activists from across the world in a global demonstration of support for the institution.
We helped to secure media coverage in more than 35 outlets, including the Financial Times, New Lines magazine, Al Jazeera, BBC Newsday, which covered their call. A video celebrating the efforts of victim and family groups in pushing for the institution reached more than 20,000 people.
Almost 10,000 supporters, across 124 countries, signed our multiple language petitions to demand the UN create this institution, whilst our co-created podcast Behind the Sun, which follows the experiences of detainees from Sednaya prison launched in Arabic and has been downloaded 11,000 times to date.
When the historic mechanism passed, we received over 300 messages of support to families and victim groups. We quickly got to work participating in consultation meetings to contribute to the recommendations to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Justice for torture
In October, we supported the Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Sednaya Prison (ADMSP) to expose the regime’s systematic practise of torturing and killing detainees in the Tishreen Military Hospital in a new report, which was covered by Megaphone and ITV news.
Later the same month, when the International Court of Justice opened its case against the Syrian state in the Hague, Syrian survivors of torture and the families of those still detained and disappeared called for the release of all those facing torture in Assad’s prisons outside the ICJ.
Holding photos of victims of torture and their missing loved ones, families and survivors from the Truth and Justice Charter asked the court to issue provisional measures to stop the ongoing practise of torture and arbitrary detention. We worked with them to highlight this historic moment for justice and accountability efforts and to ensure their demands were heard.
One month later, the court ruled that Syria must end its use of torture and arbitrary detention, although it failed to pass measures which would allow medical and monitoring teams to access detention centres and force the regime to share information about the fate and whereabouts of detainees.
Zahra Albarazi, a legal expert from The Syrian Legal Development Programme said:
“This decision is a vital step towards recognising this documentation and combating impunity through an international court. Whether or not Syria implements the provisional measures, this decision will at least highlight and invoke other states’ responsibility towards Syria and play a role in the long-term fight for justice. The ruling is significant for all Syrians because it shifts the balance of power to the victims and survivors.”
Justice for chemical weapons attacks
The Syrian regime has not yet been held accountable for chemical weapons attacks against civilians. On the 10th anniversary of the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century in August 2013, carried out by the Syrian regime, we supported feminist activist and chemical weapons survivor Lubna Alkanawati and dentist and medical worker from Ghouta Dr Mohammad Katoub to brief the UN Security Council. They demanded an end to inaction and impunity. Their speeches reached a combined audience of over 29,000 people on instagram.
To mark ten years since the heinous attack, chemical weapons survivors in Idlib, Berlin, Paris, Washington DC, New York and London told their stories, shared their experiences and called for political action alongside artists who created artworks in public spaces. A video of the events reached over 22,000 people on instagram and we connected survivors with media outlets such as DW, AP news, Raseef 22, ABC news, Tortoise, and The Telegraph.
On 30 November, we worked with survivors of chemical attacks, lawyers and civil society groups to organise a campaign calling for the establishment of an exceptional chemical weapons tribunal, which would hold perpetrators accountable for the use of chemical weapons in Syria and beyond.
We launched a video message to heads of state, supported by a statement, asking world leaders to stand up for international justice and work with civil society to establish an exceptional tribunal to provide some redress for victims and to prevent the use of chemical weapons in the future.
The call was covered exclusively by Reuters and picked up by more than 13 outlets, including the Washington Post and AP. This Syrian-led campaign is just beginning but if successful, will provide chemical weapons survivors and families of victims with an important and truly international route to justice. We will continue to advocate for an exceptional tribunal into 2024.
Uninvite Assad
In 2023, regional states made dangerous moves to rubber stamp Assad’s rule and overlook the ongoing atrocities being committed by his regime. When Assad was invited to rejoin the League of Arab States in May, we launched a digital campaign to highlight his crimes and to emphasise the dangers of normalisation.
“Today Arab states have put their own cynical realpolitik and diplomatic agendas above basic humanity. By choosing to restore the Syrian regime’s membership of the Arab League, member states have cruelly betrayed tens of thousands of victims of the regime’s war crimes and granted Assad a green light to continue committing horrific crimes with impunity,” said Laila Kiki, Executive Director of The Syria Campaign.
“This decision signals to survivors of war crimes and crimes against humanity that their suffering no longer matters and justice is not a priority. It also sends a chilling message to citizens across the Arab world putting a final nail in the coffin of the hopes for freedom and democracy of the Arab Spring.”
The story was covered by top-tier international media outlets including the Financial Times, New York Times, Associated Press, Daily Telegraph, The Times, and Boston Globe.
Later in the year when the United Arab Emirates, host of COP 28, invited Syria’s Assad to attend the UN climate talks, which are meant to unite the world around global climate goals, it was clear that the talks could be denigrated into a political PR show for a brutal dictator.
Our petition, accompanied by a video message from filmmaker Waad al-Kateab outside the UAE-owned Manchester City Etihad Stadium, as well as social media messages from advocates inside Syria, garnered support from over 9,000 individuals. Advocacy efforts reached out to 12 UN member states, including influential nations such as Germany, France, UK, Ireland, Canada, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, the US, and Japan.
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee spoke out about the campaign, as well as the UK Syria FCDO account.
Families for Freedom took photos of their loved ones to the UAE embassy in London, calling for Assad to be uninvited to COP and handed the petition into the embassy.
Assad did not attend COP in 2023. Our campaign was deemed vital in alerting the UAE, the UN and country delegates to the dangers of a war criminal greenwashing the talks.
Responding to world events
At every opportunity in 2023, we have amplified the calls of protesters in Suwayda, southwest Syria, who continue to demand their right to freedom and democracy, for the release of detainees and an end to oppression. People have taken to the streets since August 2023 creating one of the most sustained demonstrations against Assad’s dictatorship in recent years, despite the risks they take in expressing themselves.
We have regularly shared their messages on social media and traditional media and more than 350 UK citizens e-mailed their MPs, prompting cross-bench support for the demands of people demonstrating in Suwayda.
The final months of 2023 changed the world and our shared sense of humanity in deep and heartbreaking ways – the impact of which we are still trying to understand. At the time of writing, war crimes are taking place every day in Gaza against civilians which are being attacked by Israel with impunity. It is an impunity which has direct consequences for international justice and accountability in Syria and around the world.
Starvation, siege and international aid are being used as weapons to collectively punish a whole population. The number of children reported killed in Gaza in just over four months is higher than the number of children killed in conflict over four years around the world combined.
Till now, there is no let up to the crisis in Gaza and the world powers we usually rely upon to act, are not only failing to stand up for the relentless killing of civilians, but are actively participating by selling arms to Israel. As human rights advocates, we quickly condemned war crimes which are being committed, and advocated for a permanent ceasefire and the urgent enforcement of international law.
We will not give up our efforts to ensure the basic rights of every human being are protected and will continue to work with brave advocates and humanitarians as they struggle for a better and safer life.
Thank you
As advocates and campaigners, we are led by the courageous partners and brave human rights defenders we work alongside. We are in constant awe of your dedication and integrity and forever grateful for all you do to pursue rights and justice for all Syria.
We are so thankful to every individual who signed a petition, took an action, donated and showed their solidarity throughout 2023. Your support spurs us on and shows the world that there is an incredible network of human beings that continue to stand up for freedom and justice.
We extend our sincerest thanks to our donors. We truly appreciate your steadfast belief in our mission and your invaluable partnership.
Thanks to our donors
Thank you to Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Oak Foundation, Global Fund for Women, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, National Endowment for Democracy, Luminate Strategic Initiatives, International Media Service (IMS), Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), Asfari Foundation and Minderoo.
The contents of this annual report are solely the responsibility of The Syria Campaign and do not reflect the views of our partners.
Read previous annual reports here.