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On Tuesday, the Syrian National Dialogue Conference was convened, with about 600 people from the Syrian Arab Republic’s diverse communities and political orientations taking part. Holding the conference was a fulfillment of promises made by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, most recently on Jan. 30, in his first speech after he was declared president of the country.
Al-Sharaa promised to appoint a preparatory committee to organize a national dialogue conference, to be a “direct platform for deliberations and consultations and listening to all viewpoints on the future political program.” He also said there would be a transitional government representing Syria’s diversity, one whose task it would be to prepare for free and fair elections.
At the end of the day, the conference issued a statement with recommendations touching upon important issues facing the country. They included preserving Syria’s unity and territorial integrity, in a reference to parts of the country being under occupation or outside government control. Participants called for the banning of all armed groups outside the national army. They also called for quickly passing a “constitutional declaration,” a temporary legislative body and the formation of a constitutional committee to draft a permanent constitution.
They called for respect for human rights and freedoms, as well as the empowerment of women. While rejecting discrimination based on religion or ethnicity, they did not accept the setting of quotas or allocations of certain positions based on those considerations. They called for greater political participation and, while calling for transitional justice for the victims of the previous regime, they rejected all forms of violence, revenge or incitement. There were also other useful references about the shape of the future of Syria’s governance and the economy.
National dialogues have become a useful tool for political transformations after war or prolonged conflict, such as Syria’s. In broadening the debate about a country’s future, dialogues offer the potential for consensus and meaningful conversations about the underlying issues.
For national dialogues to succeed, they need to be inclusive, open and transparent, with clear rules of procedure, implementation plans and follow-up mechanisms.
Saudi Arabia launched a national dialogue after a spate of terrorist attacks in the Kingdom revealed a troubling undergrowth of confused sympathizers. The dialogue started with a big event in Riyadh in June 2003, which recommended institutionalizing the dialogue and holding inclusive sessions on a regular basis in all regions of Saudi Arabia. In August of the same year, the King Abdulaziz National Dialogue Center was inaugurated in Riyadh, where the late King Abdullah, then still crown prince, gave a historic speech calling for peaceful discourse and the rejection of extremism. Later that year and in the following years, dialogue events were held throughout the Kingdom. The process has continued since then, organized and hosted by the center.
The US Philadelphia Convention, also called the Constitutional Convention or the Federal Convention, lasted for almost four months from May to September 1787 and agreed, after vigorous debates, on the shape of the US government after independence from Britain.
In Tunisia, a national dialogue formally started in the summer of 2013 following a political crisis and political assassinations that halted the constitutional process. It lasted for several months and ultimately reached a consensus that ended the crisis. The organizers of the consensus constitution received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015.
In Yemen, the National Dialogue Conference was held for 10 months in 2013 and 2014 and almost all Yemeni political factions, including the Houthis, took part. Nineteen important documents were adopted, representing national consensus on all major issues. Although the Houthis later violated that consensus, the conference outcome documents remain an important reference for the rest of Yemen. The fact that the conflict in Yemen has continued despite the success of the conference is due in part to the old regime’s siding with the Houthis to organize a military coup in September 2014.
Judging the day of national dialogue in Syria against these historical precedents, it seems to be quite limited. The duration of the conference was surprisingly short, considering the immense transformation Syria is beginning to go through. The outcome document was also brief, touching on important issues without going into depth about them. It is doubtful that one day or a few pages of general recommendations are going to sort out all of the issues involved.
National dialogues have become a useful tool for political transformations after war or prolonged conflict.
Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg
While most of Syria’s diversity appeared to be represented at the conference and there was Kurdish participation, the Syrian Democratic Forces — an armed group seeking self-rule in northeastern parts of the country — did not take part. They have criticized what they described as their exclusion, despite ongoing talks with Damascus on the future of the territory they control.
Perhaps aware of these limitations, the conference statement concluded by calling for “encouraging the culture of dialogue, continuing dialogues at all levels and in all areas and finding appropriate mechanisms for them.” Also aware of the brevity of the final statement, it stated: “Out of commitment to transparency, the conference’s preparatory committee will issue a detailed report of the participants’ contributions and opinions expressed at the conference.”
Tuesday’s conference was a good start, in sharp contrast with decades of dictatorial and violent rule when free debate was rare. After the 1963 military coup removed a democratically elected government, but especially after the Assad family seized power in 1970 and began its totalitarian rule of the country, freedom of expression was outlawed and dissent was crushed by force. Against this background, this week’s meeting was a breath of fresh air.
However, it will be important to follow up on this conference, so that additional rounds of dialogue, preferably in different parts of the country and addressing specific issues, can be organized. Syrians will likely need extensive debates to discuss the trajectory and future of their country. They also need collective therapy to mull over the mistakes of the past. National dialogues need to be a continuous process, not a single event.
- Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation. The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily represent those of the GCC. X: @abuhamad1