Transitional justice and a monopoly on weapons: the proposals of the new Syrian state

The national dialogue conference held in Damascus on Tuesday outlined the foundations of the new Syrian state following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, with the establishment of transitional justice and a state-controlled arms monopoly.

The conference was organised by authorities led by interim President Ahmad al Sharaa , who hailed a "new historical phase" after nearly 14 years of civil war.

Al Sharaa was appointed in January following the offensive of a coalition led by the radical Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), which overthrew Bashar al Assad and seized power on December 8 in Damascus , and had announced that it would implement a national dialogue during the transition period.

An interim government is tasked with managing day-to-day affairs until March 1, when Syria must have a new government that reflects "the diversity" of the Syrian people , according to the new authorities.

The recommendations of the final declaration "will serve as a basis" for a plan to reform the institutions, said the commission that organised the conference, which was attended by representatives of civil society, religious communities, opposition figures and artists.

In the statement, participants called for a " state monopoly on weapons , building a professional national army and considering any armed formation outside official institutions as illegal groups" - an implicit allusion to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and to armed groups that refused to hand over their weapons after the fall of Assad.

However, the Kurdish- led autonomous administration, which controls much of northeastern Syria, and its armed wing, the SDF, were not invited.

"This conference does not represent the Syrian people and, as an integral part of Syria and without having been represented [...] we will not participate in the implementation of its results," the SDF said in a statement.

The final statement calls for the "unity" of the country and urges the authorities to form "a committee" to draft a "permanent draft constitution" that "anchors the values ​​of justice, freedom and equality and establishes a state of law."

The participants rejected "any form of violence, provocation and revenge" and called for the "implementation of transitional justice."