Syria is working hard to turn the page on its dismal human rights record under the former Assad regime – allowing the UN rights office (OHCHR) access to the country following years of freezing officials out.

Though the country remains fragile, the resilience of its people – and the political will to change shown by transitional authorities – is helping society move on from decades of repression and 13 years of devastating conflict.

The return of OHCHR to Damascus is “essential” to supporting a rights-based vision for a “new Syria”, said Mohammad Al Nsour, Chief of the Office’s Middle East and North Africa Section, speaking to UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri.