The Syrian National Dialogue Conference, which took place in Damascus on 24-25 February, was anticipated to play a crucial role in defining a path to national unity after the fall of the Assad regime. The conference was intended to include six workshops on topics such as transitional justice, constitution reform, institutional reform, freedoms, civil society, and economic principles, with 550 invited participants. Despite the optimism surrounding the event, it highlighted several shortcomings, particularly the exclusion of significant Syrian political and ethnic groups.
Ahead of the conference, the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) issued a statement on 15 February expressing concern over the formation of the organising committee. They criticised the committee for not representing Syria’s diverse political and social components, saying:
"This constituted committee does not represent the Syrian people in all their diversity and variety. There is a clear exclusion of political, societal, and national powers, which constitute a large and significant proportion of the Syrian society’s structure. The SDC believes that this exclusion is a flagrant violation of the principle of national partnership, a cornerstone of any legitimate political process. The SDC further emphasises that the deliberate neglect and intentional absence of key national political powers does not reflect a genuine intention to involve all Syrians in shaping the future of Syria."
On 23 February, the Kurdish National Council (KNC) pointed out that the conference was organised in just one day, with less time allocated for preparation than the length of the conference itself. The KNC questioned the credibility of the six workshops and the overall intentions behind the conference, highlighting the selective invitation process and the lack of clear criteria for balanced representation.
“The selective and individual invitation process, devoid of clear criteria ensuring balanced representation of Syria’s diverse political and ethnic forces, including the Kurdish political movement, raises fundamental questions about the conference’s credibility and its ability to address the issues left behind by the previous regime.”
The Future Syria Party also issued a statement condemning the absence of an invitation to the National Dialogue Conference. The language of their statement reflected similar concerns:
"We observe a lack of genuine inclusivity, as many key actors representing broad segments of Syrian society, particularly political parties and movements, have been excluded. Moreover, the appointed committee has not presented a clear and transparent mechanism for engaging with citizens or considering their ideas and proposals. This raises concerns and further marginalizes the voice of the Syrian people in the decision-making process and the building of a new Syria and its future."
As a result of their exclusion, 35 Syrian political, ethnic, and women’s organisations decided to boycott the conference. In addition to the lack of representation from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES)-controlled areas, Reuters reported that most of the members of the preparatory committee were affiliated with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and there was no representation from Druze or Alawite minorities, both of which are significant in Syria.
Hassan al-Dughaim, the spokesperson for the new government’s preparatory committee, clarified that no organisation with a military component not integrated into the HTS-led Syrian government would be invited to the conference.
A key theme in the speech by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new government’s representative, was the emphasis on state control over arms. He stated, “The unity of arms and their monopoly by the state is not a luxury but a duty and an obligation.” This comment has been interpreted as reinforcing authoritarian elements, which were highlighted in the SDC’s criticism of the preparatory committee.
