This is the News in Brief from the United Nations

US sanctions slowing Syria rebuilding: UN independent expert

A UN independent human rights expert has called on the United States to remove unilateral sanctions against Syria, claiming they may hamper efforts to rebuild the war-torn country’s destroyed civilian infrastructure.

On Tuesday, Alena Douhan voiced concerns that sanctions imposed under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act (also known as the Caesar Act) risk exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in the country and put Syrians at even greater risk of rights violations.

After a decade of crisis in Syria, millions are dependent on international assistance. Thousands of schools have been destroyed and the health system is in tatters, with only 58 per cent of hospitals reported to be fully functional.

The Caesar Act contains the most wide-ranging US sanctions ever applied against Syria: It could target any foreigner assisting in the country’s reconstruction, including employees of foreign companies and humanitarian operators helping to rebuild.

Netherlands violates nationality rights: UN rights committee

The Netherlands has violated a child’s rights by registering him as "nationality unknown" rather than as Stateless, the Human Rights Committee declared on Tuesday.

The decision has been described as "groundbreaking", as it marks the first time the Committee has issued a decision on the right of a child to acquire a nationality.

More than 13,000 children under the age of 10 are registered with "unknown nationality" in the Netherlands, many of whom were born in the country. The Human Rights Committee has asked the Dutch authorities to review their decision, as well as the legislation on eligibility to apply for citizenship.

Security Council condemns blue helmet killings in CAR

The violent deaths of three peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR) have been condemned by the members of the Security Council, in a statement released on Monday.

The blue helmets died on Christmas Day during an attack in the Kémo region, in which two other peacekeepers were injured.

The attack was condemned in the strongest terms by the Security Council members, who reiterated that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes and reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law.

The Council called on the Government of the Central African Republic to swiftly investigate these attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Conor Lennon, UN News