National Dialogue Conference Concludes with 18-Point Final Statement

The Syrian National Dialogue Conference concluded today, Tuesday, February 25, with the preparatory committee announcing its final statement. The conference, held at the People’s Palace in Damascus, lasted for a single day and was attended by a broad spectrum of societal groups.

According to the statement:

“In an atmosphere of consensus and commitment to national interests, the National Dialogue Conference convened today at the People’s Palace in Damascus. Following an opening address by the President of the Transitional Phase, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, participants engaged in open and comprehensive discussions on critical national issues, culminating in 18 key resolutions.”

These resolutions include:

1. Preserving Syria’s unity and sovereignty over its entire territory while rejecting any form of partition, fragmentation, or ceding of land.
2. Condemning Israeli incursions into Syrian territory as blatant violations of Syria’s sovereignty, demanding Israel’s immediate and unconditional withdrawal, rejecting provocative statements from the Israeli Prime Minister, and urging the international community and regional organizations to hold Israel accountable.
3. Ensuring the state’s monopoly on arms, establishing a professional national army, and classifying any armed groups outside official institutions as unlawful.
4. Expediting the adoption of a temporary constitutional declaration that meets the demands of the transitional phase and ensures institutional continuity.
5. Forming a provisional legislative council based on merit and fair representation to assume legislative authority.
6. Establishing a constitutional committee to draft a permanent constitution that balances power, upholds justice, freedom, and equality, and lays the foundations for a state governed by law and institutions.
7. Guaranteeing freedom as a fundamental societal value, acknowledging the sacrifices made by the Syrian people, and ensuring freedom of opinion and expression.
8. Upholding human rights, promoting women’s participation in all sectors, safeguarding children’s rights, supporting people with disabilities, and empowering youth in state and society.
9. Reinforcing citizenship principles, rejecting all forms of discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, or sect, and ensuring equal opportunities without sectarian or ethnic quotas.
10. Achieving transitional justice by holding perpetrators of crimes and violations accountable, reforming the judiciary, and enacting necessary laws and mechanisms to restore rights and ensure justice.
11. Promoting peaceful coexistence among all components of Syrian society, rejecting violence, incitement, and retaliation to foster stability and social harmony.
12. Advancing political development, ensuring broad political participation, enacting appropriate laws, and implementing fair political exclusion measures.
13. Revitalizing economic development, bolstering agriculture and industry, adopting stimulus policies to spur growth, encouraging investment, and ensuring economic policies respond to citizens’ needs and national prosperity.
14. Calling for the lifting of international sanctions on Syria, which, following the regime’s downfall, have become a direct burden on the Syrian people, exacerbating their suffering and obstructing reconstruction and the return of displaced persons and refugees.
15. Reforming and restructuring public institutions, initiating digital transformation to enhance efficiency, combat corruption, reduce bureaucratic inefficiency, and establish recruitment standards based on patriotism, integrity, and competence.
16. Enhancing the role of civil society organizations in supporting communities and reconstruction efforts, strengthening government partnerships with NGOs to ensure their active contribution to development and stability.
17. Modernizing the educational system, reforming curricula, bridging educational gaps, ensuring quality education, prioritizing vocational training, and integrating technology to secure a better future for upcoming generations.
18. Fostering a culture of dialogue within Syrian society by continuing national discussions at various levels and establishing mechanisms for their implementation.

The statement emphasized that, in line with transparency principles, a detailed report from the preparatory committee will be published, documenting participants’ contributions and perspectives.

Additionally, the final statement honored the sacrifices of Syria’s fallen and wounded, as well as detainees, missing persons, displaced individuals, and their families. It declared that this document serves as a national covenant, binding all influential forces and marking a crucial step toward building a new Syrian state founded on freedom, justice, and the rule of law.