Press release
Syrian Coalition
General Assembly
September 9, 2018
In memory of infant girl Umayya al-Riz
Head of the Syrian Coalition’s Abdurrahman Mustafa opened the 41st meeting of the General Assembly by observing a moment of silence in remembrance of the fallen heroes of the Syrian Revolution as well as discussing and approving the agenda of the meeting.
The situation on the ground, especially in Idlib and rural Hama, was at the forefront of issues that were thoroughly discussed after members of the Assembly reviewed the report that was submitted by the Department of Military Affairs. The report elaborated on the latest developments, the prospects for the situation in Idlib and the outcome of the Tehran meeting.
The Coalition highly praised the peaceful civil movement in the liberated areas and the rejection of any potential aggression. It also commended the participation of all segments of the population in the demonstrations that waved the flag of the revolution as well as stressed the demands for freedom, dignity and constitutional and human rights. It also praised the position of Turkey as well as the international and European support that is consistent with the position of the Coalition’s rejection of military escalation and the preparations for a holocaust against Idlib. It warned of disasters affecting millions of civilians whose protection is the main objective as well as of a new wave of displacement. The report addressed the situation in the south, the Al-Jazeera region and Afrin.
The issue of detainees and missing persons was of special importance in the report that was submitted by the National Commission on Detainees and Missing Persons which gave an overview of its activities and contacts. The Coalition praised the efforts of human rights organizations and activists to hold accountable war criminals from the Assad regime officials before the European judiciary. Such efforts have achieved significant results.
The Presidential Committee submitted a report reviewing the activities of the Coalition’s President and his deputies as well as the reality of the Coalition’s departments and committees and their activities. It also reviewed the reports which were submitted by the Coalition’s Secretary-General, the Secretary of the political committee which contained the decisions and recommendations of the political committee as well as the reports that were submitted by the Coalition’s departments, committees and their activities during the past period.
Head of the Syrian Interim Government, Jawad Abu Hatab, submitted a detailed report on the work and activities of the Government in various areas, the difficulties it faces, and suggestions for activating the role of the Government and its programs.
The Assembly thoroughly discussed the political situation and developments. Head of the Syrian Negotiations Commission, Nasr al-Hariri, gave a detailed overview of the political meetings held by the Commission and highlighted its points and outcomes. He also gave an overview of the Astana meetings, the Constitutional Committee and its latest developments, and the existence of indicators confirming adherence to the Geneva process as well as placing the political process as the basis for the negotiating process in Geneva. The Assembly also highlighted the Coalition’s commitment to a comprehensive political solution in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy, most importantly the Geneva Communique and UN Security Council resolution 2254 in addition to emphasizing the fundamental principles of the Coalition, its decisions and its rejection of giving any role to the head of the regime and its symbols at the start of the transitional period. It underscored that the Syrian revolution was the number one victim of terrorism in all its forms and organizations. The Free Syrian Army has fought terrorist organizations in all their forms over the past several years. Defeating terror requires comprehensive work and an integrated system that is focused on removing its root causes, including extremism, which feeds on the grievances of the Syrian people amid international silence.
The Coalition reaffirms its commitment to the unity and independence of our beloved country and its liberation from foreign occupying forces and militias. It also reiterates its commitment to the establishment of a pluralistic, civil, and democratic system of rule that guarantees justice, dignity and freedom for all citizens on the basis of equal citizenship and a modern constitution that satisfies the Syrians’ longing for freedom and allows them to exercise their civilizational role and guarantees the rights of all complements of the Syrian society within the integrity of Syrian territory and the unity of its people.
The Assembly also discussed the Coalition’s organizational reality and took a number of decisions. It assigned the political committee to implement the recommendations and decisions that activate the role of the Coalition and focus on its presence inside Syria, whether in the liberated areas or throughout Syria, and focusing on building the free national army on the basis of professionalism to carry out its assigned role.
May our wounded recover, our detainees be free, and our fallen heroes rest in peace.
Long live Syrian and the Syrian people, free and with honor.
