Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
General Assembly
March 15, 2021
The Syrian Opposition Coalition’s (SOC) General Assembly held its 55th session in the liberated areas of Syria on March 14-15. President Nasr Al-Hariri opened the meeting by observing a minute of silence for the fallen heroes of the revolution. The Assembly congratulated the Syrian people on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Syrian revolution, as it lauded the determination of the Syrian people to get rid of the murderous Assad regime, achieve victory, and achieve the aspirations and goals of the Syrians to build a civil, democratic state that guarantees freedoms and the rights of its all citizens without discrimination.
The Assembly approved the decisions taken by the political committee in the past months, which focused on reforming the SOC’s structure; ensuring adequate representation of Syrian women; and organizing the representation of the SOC-affiliated military groups in line with the new situation of the Syrian National Army.
The Assembly also approved the Charter of the Syrian Revolution for Human Rights and Public Freedoms, which is at the core of the Syrian people’s cause for freedom, justice and living in a democratic state that guarantees dignity and equal citizenship for all citizens, and provides them with opportunities for innovation, development and prosperity.
The Assembly also discussed the mechanisms of building an international alliance to hold the Assad regime’s war criminals accountable and build effective partnerships with major actors and international organizations in this regard. It welcomed international calls for accountability as it lauded international initiatives to revitalize the political process in Syria within the framework of Geneva Communique of 2012 and UN Resolution 2254, especially the recent meeting in Qatar. It also stressed the need for Arab action to support the international efforts to hold the murderous regime accountable and prevent its rehabilitation or allowing it back to the Arab League.
Moreover, the Assembly discussed the preparations for commemorating the tenth anniversary of the revolution in rural Aleppo, including the building of a memorial commemorating the fallen heroes of the Syrian revolution. It pointed to participation in the celebration that will be held in Afrin on March 21 on the occasion of the Nowruz festival with the participation of political parties, revolutionary forces, and societal and civil bodies. The celebration will serve as an expression of cohesion amongst the Syrian people in the face of the Assad regime that has subjected them to persecution and deprived them of their cultural rights.
Al-Hariri gave a detailed overview on the nature of the peaceful revolution and its goals of building a new system of rule with the participation of the various components of the Syrian people. He stressed that the Assad regime has so far killed more than a million people, displaced more than 14 million more, and destroyed most of Syria’s infrastructure, leading to the impoverishment and suffering of the Syrian people of whom about 90% are now living below the poverty line.
The bloody military policies of the murderous Assad regime also reflect in its refusal to engage in the political process or taking any step that would put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people or face the various serious threats to the homeland. These policies have made the negotiations and successive rounds of talks in Geneva, including the Constitutional Committee, reach a dead-end and led to more wasting of time, with unlimited support from its Russian ally which has been waging a barbaric war against our homeland. These threats also include the dangerous Iranian role seeking to penetrate the Syrian society and destroy it from the inside as a part of a dangerous Iranian project that targets a number of Arab states. Al-Hariri also talked about the two successful visits to the State of Qatar and the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
SOC’s Vice-Presidents and the Secretary-General gave brief overviews on the major activities that they carried out, as well as the work of the departments and offices that they supervise. The overviews were followed with extensive discussions involving a large number of SOC members.
President of the Syrian Negotiations Commission, Anas Abdah, talked about the latest developments in the political process and his meetings with the UN envoy. He said that the Commission stressed the need to work seriously to force the Assad regime to commit to UN resolutions and not to limit its efforts to the Constitutional Committee by including the basis of the Geneva Communique of 2012, especially with regard to forming a transitional governing body.
Co-chair of the Constitutional Committee, Hadi Al-Bahra, gave an overview on the latest developments in the Constitutional Committee, pending a date for the sixth session as part of the suggestion that meets the proposals made by the opposition delegation to the UN envoy.
Head of the Syrian Interim Government, Abdurrahman Mustafa, gave a detailed overview on the various activities carried his government has carried out in recent months, including services, projects, and field tours. He also talked about the work that is still in progress and answered questions and inquiries submitted by the SOC members.
The Assembly also reviewed the work report submitted by the Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU), the work of the Syria Recovery Trust Fund, and the projects and the various services it is providing to the population in the liberated areas, and their importance in achieving stability.
Tabled for discussions were also the reports of the SOC’s departments and committees, especially a detailed report by the Departments of Foreign Relations, and briefings by the SOC’s representatives to the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, New York, Brussels, Italy, Jordan, Egypt and Qatar.
On the second day of the meeting, the Military Liaison Office submitted a detailed report on the situation on the ground and the atrocities being carried out by the Assad regime and its Russian ally, especially the targeting of civilian facilities. The report stressed that the Syrian National Army stands ready to confront any attempt to violate the de-escalation zones agreement.
The meeting was concluded by a discussion of the reports submitted by the SOC’s syndicates, the Caesar Act follow-up Team, the National Commission for Detainees and Missing Persons, the department of strategic consultations, documents, studies, refugees, civil society organizations, political parties and blocs, and communities. The Assembly also discussed the situation on the ground and the political reality, prospects and possibilities.
Glory goes to our fallen heroes.
May our detainees be free.
May our revolution emerge victorious.
