The Syrian Women’s Political Movement
(SWPM) general assembly reaffirmed in its first General Assembly Meeting held in
12-14 January 2019 the vision adopted in the founding document of the Movement,
in addition to the following:

•
The
only solution in Syria is a political solution that guarantees the unity of the
Syrian territories and people and ensures the transition to a democratic
pluralistic state; a state of complete and equal citizenship for all its
citizens regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity or any other affiliation or
categorization; and a state that ensures peaceful transfer of power without any
tyranny on its territories, whether by the Syrian regime or the different de
facto forces, and without any foreign presence on Syrian soil, whether
foreign sectarian militias or foreign fighters and armies.

•
The
Constitution is an essential part of the political process, as the main
guarantor of citizens’ rights, women and men; it is necessary to draft a new
constitution to replace the constitution of 2012, which lacks legitimacy having
been drafted by a militant dictatorial regime which granted itself absolute
powers through the provisions of said constitution. Therefore, we consider
drafting a new constitution a challenge within the efforts to reach a political
agreement on the transitional period; and we shall always insist on the
importance of negotiating a Transitional Governing Body and the priority of
securing a safe and neutral environment before holding any referendum or
elections.

•
Focusing
and intensifying efforts on the issues of detainees, missing women and men, and
forcibly disappeared women and men. Such issues shall be addressed as the
cornerstone for building a safe and neutral environment in accordance with the Geneva
Communiqué (2012) and the United Nations vision for the political process; shedding
light on the ongoing arrests by the regime in areas over which it recently
restored control, in violation of the guarantees made by Russia; and focusing on
the negative impact of such practices on the likelihood of the return of
refugees, as sought by neighboring and European countries.

•
Shedding
light on coercing young men to engage in the military conflict by the regime
and the de facto forces which control other parts of Syria; a matter
leading to further disintegration and suffering for Syrian society, especially
women.

•
Reiterating
the linking of reconstruction with political transition, since achieving the safe
and neutral environment is one of the conditions for guaranteeing property
rights for all citizens, women and men; rejecting the current attempts for reconstruction
sought by the regime and war businessmen who have been trading with the resources
and blood of the Syrian people; calling for utilizing international channels that
operate with transparency and integrity, in addition to civil society organizations
and feminist associations which are not working under the control of the regime
to expose said attempts and help the Syrian people reconstruct the country within
a vision that focused on the best interest of the Syrian individual and her/his
rights at all levels.

•
Rejecting
the systematic demographic change policy pursued by the regime and other
parties involved in the conflict, whether by not allowing civilians originally from
areas where the regime has restored control to return to these areas, or by
indirect means such as enacting laws that violate their rights, e.g. Law 10 of 2018,
which entitles the regime to confiscate properties of IDPs and refugees, thus impeding
their ability to return to their original areas of residence.

•
Recognizing
that several Syrian areas continue to be potential struggle grounds against
tyranny, it is necessary to devise methods and strategies for non-violent activism
to fight tyranny in all its forms to achieve freedom, dignity, full democracy,
and human rights including women’s rights.

•
Demanding
treating the issue of refugees as a political matter that should not be subject
to extortion; rejecting all violations against refugees including applying pressures
to forcibly repatriate them to Syria before ensuring their right to safe and
voluntary return. These pressures take indirect forms, primarily through denying
them legal documents, basic services, and the right to education.

•
Committing
to our position that rejects all forms of forced displacement, whether direct or
resulting from cracking down or prosecuting any group of the Syrian people by
any party.

•
Committing
to seek enshrining equal citizenship for all Syrian women and men in the constitution,
laws, and policies, without any discrimination on any basis, and developing mechanisms
to ensure the implementation thereof.