Steps indispensable to ensuring an effective, transparent, and inclusive democratic transition in Syria must be immediately undertaken, underscored the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) today, following the conclusion of the National Dialogue Conference held on 25-26 February. Taking place amid escalating threats—including Israel’s repeated violations of Syrian sovereignty and Turkey’s ongoing illegal occupation of northern Syria and their destabilizing effects on the country, the dialogue presented a rare opportunity for Syrians to come together and discuss the future of their country. However, its rushed organization and the non-substantive nature of its discussions and outcomes failed to offer meaningful and concrete recommendations or a clear roadmap for this transitional period. The next steps in the political process and reform agenda must be transparent with clear and unconditional commitments to the roadmap highlighted in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, Democracy, human rights and freedoms, and must be undertaken with the meaningful participation of Syrians from diverse ethnic, political and religious groups across the country and in the diaspora.
As Syria charts its political future, immediate steps must be taken to create an enabling environment for civil society. Authorities should lift all restrictions imposed by the former regime on associations and political parties and actively collaborate and consult with them to ensure they play an effective role in shaping the country’s transition. At the same time, the international community must act decisively to halt Israel’s ongoing aggression and expansionist war against Syria, which threaten to derail Syria’s transition and reignite conflict. The international community should also lift all broad sanctions that are hampering humanitarian aid, preventing reconstruction efforts, and impeding access to basic rights, while maintaining and enforcing the existing UN monitoring mechanism to help the country in its transition process.
‘A comprehensive and inclusive national dialogue rooted in democratic and human rights values is not a luxury for war-torn Syria—it is a necessity to end this war. The Syrian people deserve the opportunity to build democratic institutions that uphold, unify, and respect the diverse ethnic, political, and religious mosaic that distinguishes their nation, especially after decades of suffering from war crimes and crimes against humanity’, said Amna Guellali, Research Director at CIHRS.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, decisions surrounding the transitional process and the governing authorities have been consistently ambiguous. In January 2025, Ahmad Al Sharaa, who led the military operation that toppled the previous Syrian regime was appointed president of Syria for the transitional period, in a meeting held by military faction leaders – effectively ensuring de facto control on state institutions by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its affiliated paramilitary forces. On 10 December 2024, the transitional administration had announced that it would remain in place until 1 March 2025, however, the process and shape of this government remain unclear.
The interim government had initially promised that the national dialogue would take place in early January 2025. However, the announcement of the committee to oversee it was only announced on 11 February , and was in itself problematic, as it largely consisted of HTS-affiliated figures. The dialogue was expected to represent the people of Syria in the shaping of the country, but the interim authorities turned it into a one-day discussion that would provide non-binding recommendations. While an online questionnaire was shared among Syrians, and filled out by 10,000 individuals inside and outside of Syria, invitations to attend the discussion in Damascus were delayed and only sent out the day before, ultimately excluding key political, intellectual and civil society figures despite the estimated attendance of 600 people of various backgrounds from across Syria.
The National Dialogue concluded with a closing statement outlining eighteen outcomes, referred to as a ‘national covenant and charter’. It included broad commitments to human rights, accountability, judicial reforms and national unity, as well as forceful condemnation of Israel’s invasion of southern Syria, demanding its immediate and unconditional withdrawal. The statement also proposed the adoption of a ‘temporary constitutional declaration’ to address the constitutional vacuum, alongside a prompt formation of an interim legislative council, and a constitutional committee to draft a permanent constitution – one that would uphold a balance of powers, and enshrine justice, freedom, and equality. However, these key next steps remained vague, under-defined and lacked concrete conditions, timelines or mechanisms for implementation.
Their effectiveness relies on upholding democratic values, respecting the roadmap agreed upon in the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and implementing the dialogue recommendations in good faith in the coming phase. To that end, legislative and constitutional committees must be given a binding nature, and must consist of independent figures, and not of any military (or paramilitary affiliated) figure. The committees and their process and outcomes must adhere to international human rights standards and principles, particularly the respect of freedoms and civic space, balance of powers and the right for UN- supervised free and fair elections. A safe civic space where independent civil society organizations can operate without interference or hindrance is especially crucial at this transitional period to allow for the effective contribution and representation of the people in Syria’s political future.
Syrian authorities must implement these recommendations as soon as possible, as a new constitution is essential for adopting key decisions on election, territorial sovereignty, and human rights. The interim government must also prioritize accountability for the crimes of the previous regime, as a step towards justice, healing, reparation and reconciliation for the Syrian people. This includes collaborating with international human rights mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable through a judicial process that adheres to human rights standards including due process, as well as through preserving evidence of the crimes committed by the previous regime, protecting crime scenes, offering assistance and protection to victims and their families, and facilitating the work of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, the independent institution on missing persons in Syria, and other key investigative mechanisms.
To ensure lasting peace and stability in Syria, it is imperative for all armed groups to immediately agree on concrete plans to dismantle and disarm all militias and paramilitary groups. A structured and transparent process must be established to integrate eligible members into a unified, professional national army that operates under democratic civilian oversight and upholds human rights and the rule of law. This is a crucial step toward restoring state sovereignty, protecting civilians, and fostering national reconciliation. All individuals directly implicated in crimes against humanity and war crimes should be excluded from this process.
The security and stability of Syria are crucial for rebuilding the country and activating its judicial function and public services. Sanctions must be urgently lifted in order to restore essential services in Syria and create investment opportunities while ensuring a real opportunity to rebuild and reshape the country. While CIHRS welcomes the removal of European Union sanctions on key sectors as a first step, this decision remains insufficient, and we encourage other countries to follow suit in lifting sanctions that hinder humanitarian aid or restrict people’s access to basic human rights. At the same time, the lifting of all other individual sanctions should be strictly conditioned on clear and measurable reforms and tangible progress on the ground.
Intervention by regional, and other, powers in Syria presents an already apparent threat to regional peace and security. Syria’s national sovereignty must be respected by all states and upheld by the international community. There can be no exception for Israel or other states that may have designs on parts of Syrian territory. The ongoing occupation of northern Syria by Turkey and the escalating Israeli invasion in southern Syria and its unprovoked threats on the country’s sovereignty further jeopardizes Syria’s stability and security. Israel’s demand for the ‘demilitarization of Syria’, stating that it would not ‘allow’ the new Syrian armed forces to enter the area south of Damascus, constitutes a blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty.
The silence and passivity of the international community, especially of the states claiming to support Syria’s stability such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, and EU member states, is deafening. It is especially concerning considering Syria’s unstable governance and weak military, notably following Israel’s destruction of the majority of the military equipment and weaponry systems across Syria after the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December.. States must place the much needed pressure on Israel to immediately stop its violations against Syria and prioritize diplomatic solutions to avoid further bloodshed in the region.
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