The Syria Sanctions Policy Program (SSPP) is a Syrian Forum initiative that works toward improving the efficacy of Western sanctions on the Assad regime. The SSPP bridges the gap between researchers, policymakers, bureaucrats, and politicians in an effort to influence Western sanctions, in order to minimize their side effects on local civilians while enhancing their impact on the Assad regime. The SSPP engages in policy research, intelligence gathering, and advocacy. The Program is led by Dr. Karam Shaar and implemented in collaboration with the Observatory of Political and Economic Networks and the Omran Center for Strategic Studies. The SSPP aims to influence Western sanctions on Syria in a way that weakens the Assad regime and increases the likelihood of behavioral change, minimizes the side effects on civilians and removes the hurdles to humanitarian response, counters the narrative—pushed primarily by the regime and its backers—that sanctions are the main reason behind the suffering of civilians, and nuances the narrative that sanctions have no side effects on civilians.
Objectives:
Broadly speaking, the SSPP aims to influence Western sanctions on Syria in a way that:
-Weakens the Assad regime and increases the likelihood of behavioral change,
-Minimizes the side effects on civilians and removes the hurdles to the humanitarian response,
-Counters the narrative pushed primarily by the regime and its backers that sanctions are the main reason behind the suffering of civilians,
-Nuances the narrative that sanctions have no side effects on civilians.
On an operational level, the SSPP aims to:
-Support sanctioning authorities with accurate information on the activities of the Assad regime and its backers within and outside the country using official documents and verifiable evidence,
-Publish policy research and media articles to advance the objectives of the Program, and
-Advocate for SSPP’s objectives using closed-door meetings and public events.