Syria & Golan Heights
Syria & Golan Heights
Since 2011, Syria has been on the United Nations Security Council’s agenda, when President Assad’s aggressive actions against pro-democracy protesters during the Arab Spring became more frequent and increasingly violent, leading to civil war and terrorist violence within the country.
Insecurity is the primary concern for women, yet in spite of their limited operating environment, women activists have organized nonviolent protests, distributed and monitored humanitarian aid, documented human rights violations, created safe spaces for women and children, and worked at the local level to set up ceasefires, prisoner releases, and elections.
Based on the work of NGOWG members and their partners, the NGOWG advocates for ensuring women’s needs— such as secure access to sanitation facilities and hygiene, and health assistance— are adequately addressed, and that Syrian women are equally and meaningfully participating in the UN-facilitated political process and in the design and implementation of ceasefire monitoring mechanisms.
Golan Heights
Golan Heights, a disputed plateau in south-western Syria, is home to an equal number of Syrians and Jewish settlers, and since 1973, United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) peacekeepers have observed a contested territorial line between Israel and Golan Heights.
In the current Syrian conflict, Golan Heights has become a key strategic geopolitical position, causing an escalation in violence and increased violations of the ceasefire territorial agreements. Recent advances and attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have concerned residents of Golan Heights— particularly given ISIL’s systematic denial of women’s rights and perpetuation of violations against women.
Based on the work of NGOWG members and their partners, the NGOWG advocates for addressing the increasing gender imbalance in UNDOF by deploying a higher percentage of women, and inclusion of gender-specific language in the UNDOF mandate.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Syria (July 2015)
The Council is expected to consider the situation in Syria, with a particular focus on the current humanitarian situation. In many cases, parties to the conflict are preventing necessary humanitarian services from reaching critical areas in need. In the context of reporting and documenting human rights violations, in accordance with SCR 2139 (2014) and SCR 2165 (2014), the Council should ensure there is information provided on or questions asked relating to:
- The implementation of SCR 2122 (2013) to ensure women’s participation in all political efforts to resolve the conflict, the assignment of capable gender advisers to the UN Special Envoy and negotiating teams, and the need for future rounds of negotiations to include formal consultations with women’s civil society organizations.
- Gender-sensitive reports and briefings which provide information on the scope of the situation for women, men, girls, and boys and the inclusion of particularly marginalized groups, such as women and adolescent girls who head households, and/or women who have disabilities or are care-givers of persons with disabilities.
- The need for OCHA to hold ongoing consultations with local and international civil society organizations, to devise localized relief efforts as part of the Syria Response Plan. All actors should also increase support to women’s civil society leaders, through the provision of financial assistance, technical support, and training on working under extreme conditions while also restricted by limited access to funding and within a shrinking operational space. Any efforts to prevent violent extremism in Syria should be developed in consultation with Syrian women-led civil society groups and give due recognition to the critical roles women are playing to combat violent extremism and radicalization in the country.
- Gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms committed in Syria against civilians being referred to the International Criminal Court, as well as other mechanisms that would promote truth and reconciliation, social recovery, and the reintegration of refugees.
- Investigations into the sexual exploitation of Syrian women and girls by aid workers, including those serving in refugee camps outside of Syria, in exchange for goods and services; the need to provide shelters and services for women and girls displaced by the conflict; and universal access to a full range of affordable healthcare.
The Council is expected to consider the situation in Syria, with a particular focus on the current humanitarian situation. In many cases, parties to the conflict are preventing necessary humanitarian services from reaching critical areas in need. In the context of reporting and documenting human rights violations, in accordance with SCR 2139 (2014) and SCR 2165 (2014), the Council should ensure there is information provided on or questions asked relating to:
- The implementation of SCR 2122 (2013) to ensure women’s participation in all political efforts to resolve the conflict, the assignment of capable gender advisers to the UN Special Envoy and negotiating teams, and the need for future rounds of negotiations to include formal consultations with women’s civil society organizations.
- Gender-sensitive reports and briefings which provide information on the scope of the situation for women, men, girls, and boys and the inclusion of particularly marginalized groups, such as women and adolescent girls who head households, and/or women who have disabilities or are care-givers of persons with disabilities.
- The need for OCHA to hold ongoing consultations with local and international civil society organizations, to devise localized relief efforts as part of the Syria Response Plan. All actors should also increase support to women’s civil society leaders, through the provision of financial assistance, technical support, and training on working under extreme conditions while also restricted by limited access to funding and within a shrinking operational space. Any efforts to prevent violent extremism in Syria should be developed in consultation with Syrian women-led civil society groups and give due recognition to the critical roles women are playing to combat violent extremism and radicalization in the country.
- Gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms committed in Syria against civilians being referred to the International Criminal Court, as well as other mechanisms that would promote truth and reconciliation, social recovery, and the reintegration of refugees.
- Investigations into the sexual exploitation of Syrian women and girls by aid workers, including those serving in refugee camps outside of Syria, in exchange for goods and services; the need to provide shelters and services for women and girls displaced by the conflict; and universal access to a full range of affordable healthcare.
Relevant Resources
