Discussions over future of Syria begin at National Conference

In Syria, the National Dialogue Conference has kicked off on February 24^th which is intended to chart the political future of the war-torn country, according to Asharq Al-Awsat on February 25^th.

The long-awaited conference was one of the chief pledges from the country’s new rulers – Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – who took control of Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Despite originating as an offshoot of al Qaeda, the new administration has promised a politically-inclusive transition.

The conference will be watched closely by both Syrians and the international community, including those who have yet to lift sanctions imposed during Assad’s authoritarian rule.

The main session will be today, on Tuesday 25^th, with participants holding workshops to discuss transitional justice, the structure of a new constitution, reforming an building institutions, personal freedoms, the role of civil society and the country’s economy.

The outcome of the conference will be nonbinding recommendations to the country’s new leaders. However, Orthodox Archbishop Elia Tohme, one of the conference’s invitees, said “we need to see the outcomes of the conference before judging its results,” before adding that he wants to see a “mechanism to follow up the implementation of the recommendations.”

Others have also criticized the effectivity of the conference, arguing the economic and security situation within the country remains tenuous whilst the country’s rulers are too focused on “trying to build its external relations, with America, with Europe,” reported by Asharq Al-Awsat.

However, many remain positive that the ruling party are holding the conference where over 600 people had been invited. Al-Daghim, a spokesperson for the committee organizing the conference, said, “it’s something wonderful in itself for the Syrians to be able to speak their opinion without being afraid and without repression by security forces” as was the case under Assad.

Similarly, Imam Shahoud, a judge from Hama, said she considers the conference, “the day of true victory, because you can see in front of you all the sects and components of the Syrian people are present, women and men.”

Thus, whilst there are those both optimistic and pessimistic about the National Dialogue Conference, it can be said that the new leadership appears more open to political inclusion than that of the former Assad regime after 2011.

Whether the conference manages to affect the economic plan, the restructuring of government sectors, institutional management, remains to be seen.

Asharq Al-Awsat