On February 24 and 25, 2025, the National Dialogue Conference was held in Damascus and issued a final communique that can be described as broad and vague, did not meet the aspirations of Syrian women and men in establishing their new state—a democratic, pluralistic state, a state of equal citizenship. The statement made no explicit reference to women’s rights or equal citizenship, nor did it include the word “democracy,” which may indicate a deviation from the fundamental principles that the Syrian people envision for their future.

While we appreciate the efforts made by the preparatory committee to ensure the success of the conference, we believe that the final statement was a natural consequence of the haste in holding the event under external and internal pressures that we are well aware of. However, we also see that this outcome was influenced by the nature of the invitations, as the process was marred by evident randomness, with an illogical disparity in the representation of governorates, and a lack of transparency in announcing the conference and the mechanisms for selecting participants, which had a clear impact on the conference’s outcomes as reflected in the final communique.

Furthermore, the policy adopted by the current authority deliberately excluded Syrian political bodies and their representatives, instead choosing to engage with Syrian women and men based on tribal, sectarian, and communal classifications. This made reaching agreements extremely difficult, as Syrian women and men, after decades of political repression, hold diverse visions and proposals, necessitating genuine political representation that reflects the pluralism of Syrian society.

We in the Syrian Women’s Political Movement are following with great concern the next steps that the current authority in Damascus will take to implement the conference’s outcomes, especially with the announcement of the formation of a committee to draft a constitutional declaration, which is rumored to have submitted a draft to President Ahmad Al-Sharaa for approval. Here, we point out that the absence of official media that confirms or denies this news raises our concerns, especially since the provisions of the constitutional declaration being circulated contradict our aspirations to establish the values of democracy, pluralism, and equal citizenship.

Furthermore, we in the Syrian Women’s Political Movement believe that the National Dialogue Conference cannot be considered a substitute for the national conference that establishes the new Syrian Republic, similar to the National Congress held by the founding fathers in 1919, which ensures fair representation for all, including the political representation of political entities in a manner that satisfies the aspirations of Syrian women and men.

We affirm that any genuine political process must be based on fair representation of the various components of Syrian society, on respect for the principles of democracy and human rights in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and on ensuring the participation of women in shaping Syria’s future. Without that, any national dialogue will remain a mere formal exercise that does not meet the aspirations of the Syrian people in building a just democratic state.

Long live Syria, its land and its people

The General Secretariat of the Syrian Women’s Political Movement
Tuesday, March 4, 2025