Cairo Asks UNESCO Not to ‘Politicize Discussions’https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4197331/cairo-asks-unesco-not-%E2%80%98politicize-discussions%E2%80%99
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during his meeting with the President of the Executive Board of UNESCO. (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Egypt has urged the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to abstain from “politicizing discussions” at its headquarters.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met on Monday with Tamara Rastovac, President of the Executive Board of UNESCO.
The organization should adopt its decisions based on consensus, following broad consultation, according to the Minister.
Ahmed Abu Zeid, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Shoukry called on UNESCO to focus on its “main tasks in the areas of education, science and culture”.
The meeting also discussed ways to strengthen the role of UNESCO in supporting the requests of member states to restore their stolen cultural heritage and property, said Abu Zeid.
For her part, Rastovac stressed her keenness to work through consensus and the participation of all members in formulating the stances of the organization away from political polarization, to ensure the implementation of its developmental and cultural goals.
Egypt has raised this topic several times. In 2018, Cairo warned, in its speech during the 204th session of the UNESCO Executive Board, against the consequences of continuing to politicize the organization and involving it in political issues.
Cairo had said that the organization has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of member states.
US Senators Introduce Legislation to Repeal Syria's Caesar Acthttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5156359-us-senators-introduce-legislation-repeal-syrias-caesar-act
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)
US Senators Introduce Legislation to Repeal Syria's Caesar Act
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)
US Senators Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Rand Paul introduced on Thursday a bill repealing the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019.
“The legislation reflects a growing recognition that while the Caesar Act achieved its goal of isolating the Assad regime, it now risks obstructing Syria’s path toward stability, democracy and reconstruction,” they said in a joint statement.
“Repealing the Caesar Act would end broad-based economic sanctions while preserving US tools to hold Syrian officials accountable,” it added.
The act was named after a defector from the Syrian army, who smuggled thousands of photos that document the torture and violations committed in Syrian prisons. It was designed to hold the Assad regime and its backers to account for their war crimes and human rights violations.
“The Syrian people have a generational opportunity to write a new chapter for their country and the entire Middle East,” said Shaheen. “For too long, the brutal Assad dictatorship, propped up by our adversaries Iran and Russia, has ruled with an iron fist. And for too long, the Syrian people have endured a devastating civil war to rid themselves of this oppression.”
“We can keep the new Syrian authorities accountable without decimating the economy. Sustained diplomatic engagement can yield tremendous results,” she stressed.
“I look forward to working with Special Envoy Thomas Barrack to support the Syrian people’s aspirations for democracy, stability and security,” she added.
For his part, Paul said: “For years, I’ve opposed broad sanctions that hurt innocent people more than the regimes they target. While the Caesar Act was intended to isolate the Assad regime, it has ended up punishing everyday Syrians, fueling poverty, crippling recovery, and blocking progress toward peace.”
Senator Rand Paul pauses to speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP)
“This repeal is about restoring a more targeted, principled approach that holds bad actors accountable without inflicting unnecessary suffering on the very people we claim to support,” he stated.
Matthew Levitt, Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute, said it was logical to end the Caesar Act after the reasons for its adoption are no more.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that it was enacted to tackle the grave human rights violations committed in the Assad regime’s prisons. With the ouster of the regime, there is no need to keep it in place.
Pressure
Meanwhile, Dr. Murhaf Ibrahim, head of the Alawite Association of the United States, said it was important to bolster Syrian-American ties on all levels, to lift sanctions and for the United States to display political and economic openness towards Syria.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said that in order to boost these ties, they must align with American values related to diversity, democracy, decentralization in state management and respect of human rights.
So far, the government of Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has not committed to these principles, he stressed.
He called on the US Congress to hold the government to account over its pledges to address violations and hold their perpetrators responsible.
It must also review the political and constitutional measures it has taken so far and that have sparked criticism because they do not represent the entire Syrian population, he went on to say.
US Senator Jeanne Shaheen speaks during a press conference with fellow Democratic senators calling on the Trump administration to continue Medicare drug price negotiations on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, January 22, 2025. (Reuters)
Syrian-American lobby
Ahed al-Hendi, Senior Fellow at the Center for Peace Communications in Washington, underlined the importance of the legislation because it was issued by the Senate, which first enacted the Ceasar Act, not the president.
Action by the Congress demonstrates the existence of Syrian-American lobby that did not make do with pledges made by the American administration, he said. Rather, it is working hard to secure bipartisan support to turn President Donald Trump’s words in Riyadh into political and legislative action in Washington.
Even though the administration has still not shaped a clear policy on Syria, the removal of the Caesar Act will help open a new chapter in relations and deliver a clear message that the lifting of sanctions is a necessary step in Syria’s reconstruction, he added.
It will also underscore government efforts to consolidate civil peace, respect minorities and avert regional escalation, he said.
Syrian activist Ayman Abdelnour said the removal of the Caesar Act will no doubt revive Syria and push forward reconstruction efforts.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that lifting the sanctions will allow the American administration to assess the performance of the new Syrian government on the political, economic and social levels.
