Syrian Legal Development Programme (SLDP)

The Syrian Legal Development Programme (SLDP) is a London-based advocacy group that supports international organizations in Syria and has engaged with United Nations (UN) agencies regarding the Syrian Civil War. 1  2

Read More

At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, Other
Ideological Alignment: None
Website: sldp.ngo/en
Formation:

2013

Executive Director:

Sana Kikhia

Location: London, View on map

Contents

    SLDP has published reports alleging that UN supplier contracts in Syria were involved in human rights abuses and that $68 million worth of UN projects in the region went to individuals sanctioned by the United States, United Kingdom, or European Union. 3

    SLDP has collaborated with the left-of-center nonprofit Human Rights Watch 4 and the Observatory of Political and Economic Networks. 5 SLDP has been funded by the European Union, the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the German Foreign Ministry. 6

    History and Leadership

    The Syrian Legal Development Programme was founded in 2013 by Ibrahim Olabi in response to the Syrian Civil War. 7 Prior to founding SLDP, Ibrahim worked as a legal consultant on Syria-related issues for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Bar Association, and the Open Society Justice Initiative, which is a project of liberal donor George Soros’s Open Society Foundations. 8

    As of September 2026, Sana Kikhia was the executive director of SLDP. Prior to joining SLDP, Kikhia was an activist on issues that include “gender-sensitive justice,” youth, and oral history in Syrian society. 8

    Background

    The Syrian Legal Development Programme is a London-based advocacy groupcomprised of researchers, lawyers, and human rights advocates working to promote the rule of law and minimize the negative humanitarian consequences of the Syrian Civil War. 9 10 SLDP uses its legal expertise to address current and developing legal needs in Syria for humanitarian workers and groups, temporary institutions, and the general public. 10

    SLDP supports international organizations working with Syria and has engaged with United Nations (UN) agencies regarding the Syrian Civil War, sanctions regimes, and aid to support Syria’s reconstruction. The group also raises awareness of the business and financial mechanisms available to punish alleged human rights violations from both the conflict and reconstruction. 11

    SLDP advises investors and businesses on responsible operations in Syria to “align profit with responsibility.” These advisory services include strategic human rights due diligence, international legal analysis, political economy and conflict dynamics analysis, and supply chain screening. 12

    SLDP runs an International Law Support Unit (ILSU) and a Human Rights and Business Unit (HRBU) to support the legal efforts of Syrian nongovernmental organizations and the ability of stakeholders to hold alleged corporate-related human rights abusers accountable, respectively. 13

    SLDP is a former member of the board of directors of the left-of-center pro-Syrian coalition WE Exist, 14 and was a participant in the Syrian Legal Platform. 15

    Activities

    On September 1, 2026, SLDP released a statement supporting the National Commission for Transitional Justice’s efforts to establish a victims’ fund separate from humanitarian assistance, calling it “central to Syria’s transitional justice process.” 16

    In July 2026, SLDP, in cooperation with Justice for Life, facilitated meetings with the United Nations Special Rapporteur to discuss the human rights of internally displaced persons, especially those facing legal, economic, and security challenges as they return from displacement. 17

    In 2022, SLDP co-published a report with the Observatory of Political and Economic Networks that analyzed United Nations suppliers in Syria. They claimed to have found that half of all contractors were involved in human rights abuses. The report claimed that a quarter of UN projects in Syria, worth $68 million, were given to companies at least partially owned by individuals who were sanctioned for abuses by the United States, United Kingdom, or European Union. 18

    SLDP collaborated with the left-of-center Human Rights Watch to publish the “Guide on Human Rights Complaint Procurement Processes in Syria.”   19

    Funding

    As of 2026, the Syrian Legal Development Programme has received project funding from the Federal Republic of Germany’s Foreign Ministry, Christian Aid, and the Open Society Foundations. Previously, SLDP has received project funding from the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Impunity Watch. 20

     

    Contact InfluenceWatch to report errors, suggest edits, or provide tips for additional profiles.

    Contact Us

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Locations.” LinkedIn Profile. https://www.linkedin.com/company/syrian-legal-development-programme/about/.
    2. “What We Do.” Syrian Legal Development Programme. https://sldp.ngo/en/what-we-do.
    3. Chehayeb, Kareem. “Support finds sanctioned Syrians benefit from UN contracts.” October 26, 2022. https://apnews.com/article/europe-middle-east-business-syria-united-nations-1334286b786e27c29e61d0bad5109ca2.
    4. “HRW and LSDP Guide on Human Rights-Compliant Procurement Processes in Syria.” Human Rights Watch and Syrian Legal Development Platform. 2022. https://sldp.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/HRW-SLDP-Guide-to-Procurement-and-Risk-Assessment-Tool.pdf.
    5. “The Troubling Reality Behind the UN’s Procurement Contracts in Syria.” Middle East Institute. October 25, 2022https://www.mei.edu/events/troubling-reality-behind-uns-procurement-contracts-syria.
    6. “Home.” Syrian Legal Development Programme. https://sldp.ngo/en/.
    7. “About.” Syrian Legal Development Programme LinkedIn Page. https://www.linkedin.com/company/syrian-legal-development-programme/about/.
    8. “Who We Are.” Syrian Legal Development Programme. https://sldp.ngo/en/our-team.
    9. “Locations.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed November 9, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/company/syrian-legal-development-programme/about/.
    10. “About.” Syrian Legal Development Programme LinkedIn Page. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/company/syrian-legal-development-programme/about/.
    11. “What We Do.” Syrian Legal Development Programme. Accessed November 9, 2023. https://sldp.ngo/en/what-we-do.
    12. Advisory Services. (2025, September 7). SLDP. https://sldp.ngo/en/advisory-services-for-businesses-investors-operating-in-syrial
    13. “Mission & Vision.” Syrian Legal Development Programme. Accessed November 9, 2023. https://sldp.ngo/en/mission-vision.
    14. “Board of Directors.” WE exist. Accessed September 27, 2023. https://weexist-sy.org/partners/. Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20230927162915/https://weexist-sy.org/partners/.
    15. “Participants in The Syrian Legal Platform.” Syrian Legal Platform. Accessed December 8, 2023. https://legal-sy.org/partners/. Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20231208114135/https://legal-sy.org/partners/.
    16. Hamid, E. (2026, September 1). A victims fund for Syria: Turning accountability into reparative justice. SLDP. https://sldp.ngo/en/blog/3222
    17. Justice for Life. (2026, July 28). Justice for life facilitates two meetings with the United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons. Justice for Life – JFL. https://jfl.ngo/en/justice-for-life-facilitates-two-meetings-with-the-united-nations-special-rapporteur-on-the-human-rights-of-internally-displaced-persons/
    18. Chehayeb, Kareem. “Support finds sanctioned Syrians benefit from UN contracts.” October 26, 2022. Accessed November 9, 2023. https://apnews.com/article/europe-middle-east-business-syria-united-nations-1334286b786e27c29e61d0bad5109ca2.
    19. “HRW and LSDP Guide on Human Rights-Compliant Procurement Processes in Syria.” Human Rights Watch and Syrian Legal Development Platform. 2022. Accessed November 9, 2023. https://sldp.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/HRW-SLDP-Guide-to-Procurement-and-Risk-Assessment-Tool.pdf.
    20. “Home.” Syrian Legal Development Programme. Accessed November 9, 2023. https://sldp.ngo/en/.