Transitional Justice and missing persons in Syria - Security Council, Arria Formula Meeting

Good afternoon, everyone, colleagues.

Ahla wa sahla.

And thank you for joining us this afternoon for this important Area Formula meeting on transitional justice and missing persons in the Syrian Arab Republic. I would also like to welcome our co-sponsors, Colombia, Luxembourg, and the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as our 4 distinguished briefers. Your collective commitment to this issue both here at the United Nations and on the ground in Syria, is highly commendable. We particularly wish to acknowledge the recent historical steps taken by Syria in this regard, as well as the important work of Syrian survivors and civil society. We look forward to hearing your insights. Colleagues, throughout nearly 14 years of civil war, more than half a million Syrians were killed, and hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians are estimated to have disappeared. For millions of Syrians, it seemed as though the fate of their loved ones would remain unknown and that justice would forever remain out of reach. However, since the fall of the Assad regime, and thanks to the commitment of Syria to the transitional justice process, there is now a real possibility to make progress, to support justice and accountability for the Syrian people, in line with international standards, and to restore dignity for survivors who have suffered for too long. Addressing this legacy— the legacy of these violations through a comprehensive, transparent, and inclusive transitional justice process is essential. Such a process can help rebuild trust in national institutions, end the culture of impunity, and help to ensure that Syria does not slide back into conflict. But Syria is not alone in these efforts. In Resolution 2282, the Security Council recognized transitional justice as integral to sustaining peace, making this track a matter of continuing importance for us here and for the international community. The Security Council and the broader UN membership can support a range of technical efforts, enabling international justice mechanisms to share more information with relevant Syrian bodies, support relevant Syrian institutions in their efforts to lead the transitional justice process, and backing a holistic, coordinated approach that improves the chances of uncovering the truth and bringing perpetrators to justice. But we can also ensure sustained political support— support for the efforts of Syria with the full involvement of civil society, including women and youth, and grounded in in human rights. We hope that today's meeting can address these important discussions. Colleagues, 15 years ago, in 2011, I was Denmark's Ambassador to Syria and met frequently with peaceful opposition figures and human rights defenders during the Syrian uprising. One person made a particular impression on me, a young woman human rights lawyer and civil society activist, Rassane Seytouni. We met at her secret location where she had gone into hiding from the regime. And she was one of the most fearless and impressive people I ever met. In December 2013, she was kidnapped together with her husband and 2 other activists, and she has been missing ever since. So for me, this meeting is for her, her family and friends, and all the other Syrians who have suffered so much not knowing the whereabouts of their loved ones. And with that, I now pass the floor to my colleague, Ambassador Salabarte Torres of Colombia.

Excellencies, Colombia is delighted to co-sponsor this meeting together with Denmark, Luxembourg, and Syria, and we are grateful for the participation of our distinguished briefers and all of the delegations joining us. We are here to discuss a topic which is essential for the efforts that is being undertaken by Syria to address the legacy of the grave violations of the past and to guarantee that the victims play a central role in the quest for truth, justice, reparation, and non-repetition. At the same time, looking at how to make progress in shedding light on the whereabouts of the missing persons as part of building a sustainable and lasting peace in the country. In this context, transitional justice represents a fundamental element. Its purpose isn't solely to clarify responsibilities for the grave violations of the past, but also to recognize the dignity of the victims, to guarantee their rights, and to contribute to rebuilding the social fabric and towards social reconciliation. All of these efforts represent an opportunity to strengthen the rule of law as well. The situation of missing persons is a priority in all of this work. Behind every missing person, there are families that continue to live amidst uncertainty uncertainty and communities that are still waiting for answers. Shedding light on their fate and whereabouts is a humanitarian imperative and part and parcel of restoring trust among the public in their institutions. Our own experience in Colombia has taught us that victims, their families, and civil society organizations are not solely the beneficiaries of transitional justice processes. They are crucial stakeholders in the design, legitimacy, and implementation of these processes. Their effective involvement strengthens institutions and contributes to building a more robust and inclusive peace. And in this regard, we'd like to highlight the fundamental role played by women seekers of missing persons. Many cases have shed light on the whereabouts of missing persons, preserved memory, documented the truth, and also highlighted the importance of truth and justice. Justice, very often facing risks for their own security. In this regard, we are pleased to say that together with the Syrian Arab Republic, we will be putting forward a proposal to the General Assembly to recognize this role. Our experience has reaffirmed the truth of this reality, and it has brought our country to recognize the role of women who look for missing persons as proponents of peace, as well as to promote their effective involvement in processes related to the quest for truth and memory. We believe that this recognition reflects a universal principle. Those who dedicate their lives to looking for missing persons should be able to enjoy the necessary guarantees to carry out this work safely, with dignity, and with full respect for their rights. Excellencies, Colombia believes that it is fundamental that Syrian authorities are able to enjoy the support and accompaniment of the United Nations and international mechanisms relevant in this area, including the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic, the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism, and the U.N. Independent Commission of Inquiry, always as a part of a Syrian-led process based on the needs and priorities defined by Syrians themselves. Finally, I would like to underscore that the quest for missing persons transcends political divisions. It is above all a humanitarian obligation and an expression of respect for human dignity. Placing victims and their families in the spotlight of this effort doesn't only contribute to shedding light on the truth, it also contributes to guaranteeing reconciliation and moving towards peace. Thank you very much. Gracias.

I thank Ambassador Salabata for her statement, and I now pass the floor to Ambassador Olivier Maes, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations.

You have the floor.

Thank you very much, Ambassador Lassen. Dear Christina, colleagues, distinguished guests, and dear families of the missing joining us today, it is an honour for Luxembourg to co-sponsor this Area Formula meeting together with Denmark, Colombia, and the Syrian Arab Republic. Dear Christina, you reminded us that hundreds of thousands of people went missing during the Assad regime, and the fate of a vast majority of those remains unknown. This creates incredible hardship for those left behind, both in Syria and abroad. In an effort to bring closure to the families and to clarify the fate of the missing, in June 2023, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 77301, by which it decided to establish, under the auspices of these United Nations, the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic. Luxembourg was honored then to lead the core group of member states that worked hard to establish the IIMP under very challenging circumstances 3 years ago. Throughout our joint work on Resolution 77301, we have always put the dignity of the missing and the well-being of their families at the forefront of our efforts. The families were the real driving force behind the creation of the institution, and we are very heartened to see that they remain engaged and that their perspectives are included in the work of the institution, and I'm particularly moved to see representatives of Syrian families, very courageous Syrian women present with us today in this room. Since the fall of the Assad regime and the establishment of the Syrian Transitional Authorities, new pathways have opened to clarify the fate of the missing. The fact that the head of the IIMP, Assistant Secretary-General Carla Quintana, and her team have been able to conduct numerous working visits to Syria has been crucial for the progress of the work of the institution, and we hope that the cooperation will grow stronger in the future. We are encouraged by the ongoing national efforts and welcome the participation of the heads of the Syrian National Commission for the Missing and the Syrian National Commission on Transitional Justice in today's meeting. The process of clarifying the fate of the missing indeed needs to be Syrian-owned, nationally-led, and internationally supported. We very much hope that today's meeting will help strengthen the cooperation and the trust between all relevant actors in Syria and in the international community to ensure the right of families to know the fate and whereabouts of their missing relatives and to receive adequate support. It is a humanitarian imperative. It is also an imperative for peace, because addressing the issue of missing persons is crucial in the efforts towards national reconciliation and sustainable peace in Syria. Thank you very much.

And I thank Ambassador Mass for his statement, and I now pass the floor to Ambassador Ibrahim Olavi. Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations. Tafaddal.

Thank you, colleagues. I thank my esteemed colleagues, the Friends of the Syrian People, the Ambassadors of Denmark, Luxembourg, and Colombia, and to all of you, those with us here today, for joining us and for co-sponsoring this event. Before the lunch break, I had pre-prepared remarks, And during lunch— but during the lunch break, I had a conversation with both Yasmin and Safinaz, the 2 brave women you see sitting behind me. This is not the first time they hear of the United Nations, nor the first time some of them enter it, but it's the first time that they're sitting here together with Syria and with states, being able to talk about something that we actually can do something about. I want to go back to December 7th, not 8th. On December 7th, towards— while we can see Syria being liberated, a good number of families, forces changed path from going into Damascus, and they started going to the prisons. Some of you who visited me in the mission will see that I have a picture of a man holding an axe, and hitting a metal steel door trying to open it. That picture resembles what everyone was hoping for to see come out of those prisons— loved ones, mothers, fathers. We saw some. We saw horrific images of children coming out of some of those dungeons and some of those cells. These images will never personally escape me. But on December 8th, The majority of Syrians were celebrating, but the vast majority of them who have loved ones missing were looking, hoping, often with no answer. Not long after that, with this responsibility at hand, we established— the president established by decree the Independent Commission on the Missing and the National— the Transitional Justice Commission, both of whom I'm very humbled to be sharing a panel with here today, Dr. Rada and Salah Abdel-Basat. The 4 of them arrived from Damascus between yesterday and the day before. As you know, this is a big challenge, but they also come here because they feel it is their duty to engage with the international community that stood with them with what they could, as Olivier mentioned, to do what they can here at this forum. They will return with expectations. People are going to ask them, how was New York? What did the international community tell you? What sort of support are you able to offer? What sort of support are the states able to offer? And I know this is not the end of the conversation, but absolutely not even the beginning. The conversation has already started, but a very important milestone to have this ARIA formula here with all of you being present. So my first ask, please, is Listen carefully to what the commissions have to say. Unfortunately, the victims will not be briefing, but they will be around to discuss, to share their experience. But secondly, the least we can do as Syrians— we're very happy to be doing this with Colombia— is to honor people like Yasmin and Safinaz, who came door-knocking here in the United Nations, but also went to the prisons to look for their loved ones. Women across the world put a huge effort and go through incredible stigma and incredible fear of repression, risks, financial risks, personal risks, in order to search for their loved ones. And so before the moratorium kicks in with the beginning of the 81st session, you'll be hearing in written today by us Syria and Colombia, that we wish to honor the women around the world who spend so much effort seeking the truth for their missing persons in a way that is worth remembering them. I look forward to the session today, and I'm very grateful again to the co-sponsors for always standing with Syria and the Syrian people, and I'm so glad that the day has come that all of you are able to see Syria here, co-sponsoring, speaking, but more importantly, national commissions, and most important of all, the families that we're here to talk about. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Ibrahim, Ambassador Arabi, for this important and strong statement, in particular for reminding us the special role of women, unfortunately, around the world in conflict situations and in search of missing persons and their personal sacrifice in this regard. With this, we have been through the sponsors, and I thank again my fellow ambassadors here, the fellow sponsors of this event, and I'll now turn to our panel of distinguished briefers. I'll start to pass the floor to the one person who's not sitting right here, but he should be with us on a video link, Mr. Volker Türk, who is the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mr. Türk, you have the floor.

There he is.

First of all, thank you very much, and it's a great pleasure to join you by remote from Geneva. And Excellencies, dear co-sponsors, distinguished participants, and I want to acknowledge in particular and honor those who are present in the room who have families who have lost their loved ones or looking for their loved ones. Your fate is the extremely important one for all of us in the United Nations. For much too long, Syria has been associated with conflict, with suffering, and the displacement of millions of its people. But the country's deeper story is one of ancient civilizations, of rich diversity and resilience, and this history and legacy are inseparable from its present and its future. 19 months after the fall of the former regime, following decades of repression, killings, torture, and enforced disappearances, Syrians are feeling a mix of exhaustion, relief, and hope. Their expectations are high on many fronts. They are clamoring for justice, for accountability and transparency. The fractured social contract of the past needs to be rebuilt through trust in state institutions, dealing with the past, healing, and cohesion between communities. This requires meaningful reforms that deliver tangible improvements to people's daily lives. We know from history that transitions are never easy and they don't happen overnight. They require patience and perseverance. And it is clear, and the Ambassador of Syria just mentioned it, the international community has an important role to play. Experience from other countries shows that when transitions fail, it is often because of either inadequate or excessive engagement by international players and insufficient national ownership. Today there is an opportunity to get it right. To do so, we need to focus on Syria's future, and it's clear that human rights are the foundation. It was very much at the foundation of all the ones who struggled for freedom in Syria. The security situation in the country remains fragile, with episodic outbreaks of intercommunal violence in parts of the country. And ongoing Israeli incursions in the south. Economic hardship and delays in restoring basic services are heightening tensions, especially among internally displaced people and those who are returning from abroad. Despite the lifting of some sanctions, the economy is still suffering from their impact over many years, combined with war and displacement. Some 90% of the Syrian population lives below the poverty line. Up to 12 million Syrians have limited access to water and sanitation services. Hate speech is fueling communal tensions and fear, and frustrations are being directed at minority communities. Against this complex background, I am encouraged by positive steps taken by the authorities which can help lay the foundation for a more peaceful future. The government has started to reform institutions and to pursue accountability, including by addressing the fate of missing people. The establishment of the People's Assembly, the constitutional declaration, and security sector reform are important developments. The prosecution of the former president and other officials, while at this stage largely in absentia, is an important step. These proceedings need to respect international standards, and more must follow. Efforts to investigate and prosecute people allegedly responsible for attacks that took place in the coastal areas in March 2025 and in Zweden in July 2025 are also welcome. And the fate— and we have just heard it from all of you— the fate of missing people is a crucial issue. For Syria's future. During my visit to the country in January last year, the first time ever that a High Commissioner for Human Rights visited Syria, I heard again and again from people seeking answers about the fate of their loved ones. Their right to truth is essential for reconciliation and building trust in the state. The National Commission for Transitional Justice and the National Commission for missing persons have a crucial role to play, and they will require sustained political, technical, and financial support. And I look forward to also hearing from not only from them but also from Carla Quintana, who leads the UN support to Syria on missing people. I also welcome greater space for public debate, which is essential to counter hate speech and incitement to violence. And to rebuild social cohesion. The government's efforts to grant citizenship to stateless Kurds, to recognize linguistic diversity, and enable the return of displaced people to their homes are encouraging. The return of some 1.7 million refugees and nearly 2 million internally displaced people to their homes is a welcome sign of growing confidence. Excellencies, it's absolutely key that the transition is fair, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of all Syrians. And I see 4 areas of action where international support can make a difference. First, national ownership, which is a prerequisite for successful transitions. This requires a process that is centered on victims and survivors, including families of the missing, that listens to them, supports them to claim their rights, and addresses their needs. It is crucial to recognize the specific impact of the conflict on women and girls, including sexual violence, discrimination, trauma, and more. It is also important to ensure the meaningful participation of a broad cross-section of society working alongside public institutions, including women, civil society, young people, and affected communities, not outside powers or donor governments. However, well-intentioned. Women-led groups have been the beacon of hope during the horrific years of war and remain so today. And I have met many Syrian women in exile during my years with UNHCR. These women have not only documented violations and demanded justice, they have also offered ideas and solutions for rebuilding society, and their voices need to be heeded. Second, accountability for violations before, during, and since the war is essential regardless of the perpetrator. Steps towards justice need to fully respect international human rights standards, including due process and fair trial guarantees. These efforts need to be part of a comprehensive process that includes effective remedies for victims. The draft transitional justice law is an opportunity to ensure that victims are not left behind, that all crimes are addressed, regardless of when they occurred. And I urge all those with influence to support Syrian efforts towards accountability, which is how institutions earn legitimacy for the future. Third, a successful transition requires meaningful attempts at non-judicial forms of truth-seeking, memorialization, and national reconciliation. Over more than 5 decades of repression, pain, and loss, Syrians have learned better than most what justice, truth, and healing require. That knowledge needs to inform the path ahead. For families of missing people, establishing the truth about what happened to their loved ones is a crucial part of healing. People need spaces where they can speak openly, listen to one another, acknowledge trauma and suffering, and imagine a shared vision for their country. Fourth, people need institutions they can have confidence in. This means strengthening the judicial system, law enforcement, public administration through institutional reform, due process and fair trial guarantees, and torture prevention, all based on international rights standards. United Nations are there to provide support, and the United Nations need to offer a coherent, lean, and effective architecture to back Syria's transitional justice process. We need to approach this work with humility and patience, guided by the ingenuity and dynamism of the Syrian people. During my visit on January 25th, the Syrian leadership assured me of the importance of respecting the human rights of all Syrians, as well as pursuing healing, trust-building, and social cohesion. My office now has a team in Damascus that continues to engage with the authorities. We're providing legal and policy advice on the transitional justice framework, encouraging meaningful consultations with survivors and their families, and supporting economic policies that advance people's rights and improve their lives. For victims, justice is not a nice-to-have. It's fundamental and deeply personal. It's a recognition of their suffering. It's a promise that what happened to them and to their loved ones will not happen again. And we all have a responsibility to uphold that promise and to build and help build a more peaceful and inclusive future for all Syrians. Thank you very much.

I thank Mr. Türk for his briefing, and I now pass the floor to Ms. Carla Quintana, who's Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic, also known as IIMP. The floor is yours.

Thank you, Madam President, Madam Chair, Excellencies, dear co-sponsors, colleagues, Dr. Rida Jalhi, Dr. Abdulbaset Abdullatif. to the Syrian families, and especially to the women that are looking for their loved ones. Thank you for convening this timely discussion that places the focus on Syria and the Syrian people and reaffirms the commitment of the UN, as my colleague the High Commissioner just pointed out, and its member states to support them in their quest for a better future. Transitional justice and within it, making the right to truth a reality is an essential component of that quest. Of the many truths that Syria must confront, none is more consequential or more heartrending than the truth about the missing. Disappearance, we are often told, is harder than death. It leaves families suspended between hope and despair. unable to mourn, unable to heal, and unable to move forward. Today, hundreds of thousands remain missing in Syria. Almost every Syrian family has been touched directly or indirectly by this tragedy. Nearly every community continues to live with unanswered questions. Addressing the issue of the missing is, of course, a humanitarian obligation, but it is also indispensable for stabilization, reconciliation and lasting peace. A society cannot rebuild its social fabric while hundreds of thousands of families continue to live without answers. I look forward to updating the General Assembly tomorrow in my annual briefing on the progress that we, at the independent institution, have made in implementing our mandate, in coordination and complementarity with relevant actors. Today, within the broader context of a discussion regarding transitional justice, allow me to share with you 4 key elements that, drawing from comparative experience, I believe are essential to increase the chances of success in the search of the missing: political will, information, trust, and methodology. I am convinced that using these elements as a guide is the best way to monitor progress and to address challenges, both in the search for the missing and more broadly in achieving transitional justice. First, political will is fundamental. Recognizing the existence of a missing persons crisis and the need to establish specialized mechanisms to address it is the first step. This recognition must be accompanied by an adequate legislative and institutional framework, access to information, as well as sufficient funding and resources. Political will creates the opportunity to search. Institutional capacity determines whether that search succeeds. Political will is therefore also required to ensure effective coordination, access to information, openness to international cooperation, and sustained capacity building. Search mechanisms cannot operate in isolation. Political will must extend both internally across national institutions such as the judiciary, forensic services, the police, and civil registry, and externally, of course, through cooperation with relevant international actors backed by sustained political and financial support. It is essential to understand that the search of the missing, as part of the right to the truth, is central to stabilization, sustainable peace, and reconciliation. It must therefore advance alongside progress in justice, reparation, and the prevention of future violations. Second, information. Gathering, analyzing, and sharing information is vital in the search of missing persons. One of the defining features of disappearances is that relevant information is often hidden or dispersed. One of the greatest challenges is piecing together those fragments. Having information adequately flow means that we can provide more and better answers to the families. While technologies enable information to flow more quickly and to analyze it more rapidly, not all the actors possessing information are willing or able, for various reasons, to share it. There is an urgent need to establish systems that enable the secure flow of essential information so as to connect the dots between the various parties involved in the search: national authorities in various countries, international actors, civil society, and the families themselves. Failing or unnecessarily delaying sharing information amounts to misunderstanding the complexity of the search, effectively impeding access to the right to the truth. We have seen this in several countries. Third, trust. The families of the missing are the bastion of dignity and the voice calling for truth and justice. Their trust in the search process is crucial, not only for obtaining information but also for building transparent and participatory processes. Search processes are long. Trust, therefore, is what sustains them. It is through trust that families gain confidence in the process and clarity about what it can and cannot deliver. Trust is built day by day through actions. It cannot be assumed, nor can we expect everyone to trust every institution from the outset. Trust among national institutions and between national and international actors is equally fundamental to building an effective search process. Fourth, methodology. Searching for the missing requires comprehensive processes that have taken us years worldwide to develop. We cannot repeat the same mistakes and expect isolated or fragmented magic formulas to resolve what requires a complex, interdisciplinary, and large-scale process supported by adequate human and material resources. Above all, it requires coordinated efforts. The sooner we begin, the sooner families will receive answers. Needless to say, even when these 4 elements are present, no single institution can implement the search process alone, neither at the national nor at the international level. That is why we always emphasize at the Double IMP that the search for missing persons is a collective process. That requires coordinated and complementary efforts. All relevant actors must have the political will to contribute their fair share. This also requires a legal, political, and technical framework. From a state of total denying of the missing persons crisis until December 2024, Syria has now moved towards establishing such a framework. Comparative experience Such as Colombia, Bosnia, Kuwait, Argentina, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Mexico, Chile, Spain, Morocco, teach us that building the institutional capacity, methodologies, and coordination required to respond to missing persons crises of this magnitude takes time. Those experiences have also taught us that there are no shortcuts and that isolated efforts are not enough no matter how well-intentioned they are. This is precisely why sustained cooperation and coordination, technical support, and openness to hands-on international cooperation and expertise remains so important. I would like to acknowledge the dialogue we have developing— we have been developing with the National Commission of Missing Persons with Dr. Rida Jalhi to start addressing key issues across the full breadth of our respecting mandates. Including harmonizing approaches to case registration, mapping mass graves, strengthening forensic infrastructure, addressing patterns of disappearances, and developing information systems. Many important fundamental questions remain to be answered in Syria, including, for example, regarding the relationship between search and accountability actors and the way their methodologies and findings are connected. The draft law on transitional justice and missing persons can be first important steps to address them within a comprehensive legal, participatory, and political framework. Answering these questions has taken years, decades in other jurisdictions. It requires the engagement of the state as a whole. Drawing on operational experiences from around the world in searching for missing persons and supporting transitional justice processes, The independent institution stands ready to support CIDHIA. We must continue laying the foundation for a process that is reliable, rigorous, sustainable, and nationally led and internationally supported. Clarifying the fate and whereabouts of the missing and fulfilling the right to truth of the families is a key component of transitional justice and an essential precondition to achieve justice peace, stabilization, and reconciliation. Thank you, Madam President.

Shukran.

And I thank ASG Quintana for her briefing. I now pass the floor to Dr. Abdul Latif, Head of the Syrian National Commission on Transitional Justice, to Fatah.

Ladies and gentlemen, Excellencies, at the outset I'd like to thank the organizers of this important meeting, and I express our appreciation for the ongoing efforts of the United Nations and international partners in supporting the Syrian people at this critical stage. I welcome the opportunity to shed light on the issues of transitional justice and missing persons, both of which are among our highest national priorities due to their direct impact on civil peace and confidence-building, and the consolidation of the rule of law. For decades, Syrians have endured grave violations that have left profound scars on society and the state. Today, the transformations taking place in Syria provide a historic opportunity to address this painful legacy in ways that may not have been previously possible. We are driven in this effort by our conviction and determination that transitional justice is not merely about addressing the past, but also about investing in the future. Efforts to uncover the fate of the missing and provide redress for victims and listen to the voices of survivors represent a national and moral commitment that cannot be delayed. The National Commission on Transitional Justice is working on launching a comprehensive process that is based on the principles of truth, accountability, reparations, institutional reform, and guarantees of non-recurrence. And despite the visible progress achieved, we face a group of challenges. The sheer scale of the violations, the complexity of the cases, requires sustained international support that is focused on building national capacity, on transferring expertise, and strengthening Syrian institutions in a manner that preserves the national ownership of this process and enhances the confidence of citizens in it. We affirm our interest in benefiting from the United Nations expertise in the field of transitional justice, of the rule of law, and the protection of victims. We express our appreciation for the role played by the High Commission on Human Rights, as well as the IIMP and the Independent Investigation Committee and the a group of experts, of UN experts on conflict-related sexual violence, and the different United Nations bodies and institutions. We thank them for their contributions in documenting violations, and we believe that we are able to engage into a deeper level of work with the national— between us and them by exchanging expertise and knowledge and capacity building in a manner that would achieve our common goals in uncovering the truth and in preventing non-repetition— in guaranteeing non-repetition, I beg your pardon. The Commission was established by Presidential Decree No. 149 of the 25th of August, 2025. Over almost a year, the Commission has worked on 2 tracks. The first track is an international one that is aimed at learning from contemporary transitional justice experiences around the world and strengthening the relationship between the international community and the United Nations organizations. And within this framework, the Commission signed numerous memoranda of understanding to build capacities and to establish a system for digital security and archives. The Commission has also started drafting a transitional justice law through consultations that were large-scale with various stakeholders, with the victims at the forefront. More than 300 meetings have been held with victims, and the Commission has coordinated with more than 80 civil society organizations. The Commission established 6 departments, each of which has carried out regular visits to Syrian governorates within a strategic approach that was adopted. The Truth Team started case files concerning a number of painful massacres in neighborhoods and towns such as Atadamun, Al-Husayn, and Jalilat al-Fadl and Tasneem in the outskirts of Homs. The Department of Accountability prepares the evidence files and shares them with competent courts. Moreover, investigations are being pursued at multiple locations such as Al-Jura and Al-Qusur in Deir ez-Zor and Daraa and in Damascus and the center of Homs as well. The Department of Operations is setting up the first recovery center in Homs and is working on establishing the National Victims Register, while the Department of Memory is conducting field surveys across Syrian governorates as part of a national memory initiative. The Department of Community Reconciliation continues to organize dialogue among the different segments of Syrian society to ensure civil peace and national reconciliation throughout the Syrian governorates. The Commission also wants to remain close to victims in their own communities and it would like— and it seeks to reduce the burden of travel and guarantee that their voices are heard. Therefore, it will establish branches in all the different governorates. We believe that achieving transitional justice is not only a human rights obligation; rather, it is also a fundamental pillar for consolidating civil peace and preventing the recurrence of conflict. We believe that this contributes directly to enhancing international peace and security— enhancing civil peace and security, and advancing the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Thank you. In this context, we are developing national approaches based on respect for the central roles of victims and survivors and the families of the missing and forcibly disappeared. And we work with civil society and women's organizations in designing programs for truth-seeking, preserving memory, and promoting national reconciliation. We emphasize that transitional justice in Syria will not succeed unless it is Syrian-led and nationally owned and supported by international partnerships that are constructive, and founded on cooperation and mutual respect. Accordingly, we call upon the international community to continue investing in the development of national institutions as an investment in the stability of Syria and the region. We stress that Syrians are not asking the international community to deliver justice on their behalf. Rather, they are asking it to stand by them as they build justice with their own hands in a manner that restores dignity to victims, strengthens confidence in the state, and lays the foundations for sustainable peace. I thank you for your kind attention.

I thank Dr. Abdullatif for his briefing, and I now give the floor to Dr. Rida Jalchi, who is Head of the Syrian National Commission on Transitional Justice. You have the floor, sir.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the Security Council. Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished members of the Security Council, I have a great honor to address you on behalf of the National Commission for the Missing in the Syrian Arab Republic. And I would like to thank the countries sponsoring this session and all those who have helped keep the issue of missing Syrians present and support their families' rights to know the fate of their loved ones. The issue of the missing is a matter of rights and dignity. sustainable peace. There can be no healing for families without the truth. There can be no stability for society as long as the fate of tens of thousands of its members remains unknown. Following liberation and the fall of the previous regime, the National Commission for the Missing was established in the Syrian Arab Republic to lead efforts to search for the missing and determine their fate, to support families and coordinate related efforts. And within a short period of time, the commission began its practical operations. It determined the fate of a number of missing persons. Most notably the fate of the, the 6 children of Dr. Rania al-Abbasi. It also responded to more than 170 reports of sites suspected to contain graves or human remains. The Commission opened 10 family service centers in all Syrian governorates and launched 11 national programs covering its core areas of work. Moreover, it recently held the National consultations on the missing to prepare a special law on the missing in the Syrian Arab Republic. Madam President, before the fall of the regime, families of missing persons, Syrian civil society organizations, and a number of countries and international organizations made significant efforts to document cases and to advocate for the rights of the families. These are efforts that we value and build upon. Today, the reality in Syria has changed, and it has changed fundamentally. For long years, the issue of missing persons remained marginalized and was met with denial and obstruction by the former regime. Today, however, this issue is a national priority and is being handled by a specialized institution with a clear methodology. This transformation has restored hope to the families and established a genuine partnership between them and the Commission. Given the immense suffering associated with the issue of missing persons in Syria, as we are speaking of tens of thousands of missing persons and thus millions of their relatives, most of whom are women and children, the Commission believes in the importance of cooperation and coordination with coordinated states and international actors, including international mechanisms, institutions, and organizations. All of this is to alleviate the suffering of the families and to speed up their access to the truth while ensuring that these families remain both the ultimate objective and the central point of reference for such cooperation. This approach has culminated in the signing of a Declaration of Principles for Cooperation between the National Commission and 3 of the leading international entities concerned with this issue, and foremost amongst them is the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic. This declaration established a framework for defining roles whereby the National Commission leads efforts within Syria and the international efforts focus on technical support, the transfer of expertise, and capacity building. However, translating this understanding into practical results requires aligning the working tools of the international actors and reviewing and updating relevant international mandates so that they correspond to Syria's new political and institutional reality. This would ensure their complementarity with the Commission's national mandate and would prevent a duplication of responsibilities or the emergence of parallel tracks that would fragment efforts, which would confuse the families and prolong their wait for the truth. In the midst of these arrangements, we must not lose sight of the families, especially the women who have borne the greatest burden throughout the years of waiting. Mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters have steadfastly upheld their loved ones' rights to the truth. And despite their pain, they have preserved the cohesion of their families and communities. We are honored that this session is joined— that we are joined in this session by Safinaz Shuaibi, whose only son is among the missing, and Yasmin Mashan, the sister of 5 missing persons, and their resilience embodies the suffering of thousands of Syrian women and their unwavering commitment to knowing the fate of their loved ones. From this platform, the Commission calls upon Member States to support a process within the United Nations to establish an International Day for the Female Relatives of the Missing in recognition of their resilience and their role, and in affirmation that supporting them is an integral part of families' right to the truth and for building a sustainable peace. In closing, truth is every family's right, and it is our shared responsibility to transform this cooperation into results that preserve the dignity of the missing, that alleviate the suffering of their families, and that brings them closer to the truth that they have long awaited. I thank you.

I thank Dr. Jalhi for his important briefing.

I'll now pass the moderating task to my colleague, Ambassador Salapata.

Thank you. I will now invite those members who wish to make a statement to do so. I give the floor now to the Permanent Representative of Greece Aglia Baltai, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam.

I wish to thank High Commissioner Türk and Eiji Quintana for their briefings, as well as the representatives of the Syrian National Commission for their presence and remarks here today. Following decades of suffering, the Syrian people are ready to open a new chapter, one defined by truth, justice, and reconciliation. In this vein, addressing the issue of missing persons is a critical priority. For thousands of Syrian families, clarifying the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones is both a humanitarian imperative and an essential step towards truth, justice, and reconciliation. The meaningful participation of victims, survivors, families of the missing, and Syrian civil society is crucial Thank you. Let me thus acknowledge the indispensable contribution of women-led organizations in preserving memory, documenting violations, and supporting accountability efforts. Greece welcomes the establishment of the Syrian National Commission for Transitional Justice and the National Commission for the Missing, as well as their representatives in today's meeting. Your presence here today speaks powerfully of the course Syria has chosen. We commend the continued engagement and cooperation with international, impartial, and independent mechanisms— the UN Commission of Inquiry and the Independent Institution on Missing Persons. Their expertise can provide invaluable support in strengthening national capacities, preserving evidence, and ensuring that transitional justice efforts are conducted in accordance with international standards. In this context, international law remains indispensable for building a peaceful, stable, and inclusive future and addressing past grave human rights violations. We welcome the efforts undertaken by the Syrian authorities in these regards. Transitional justice constitutes an integral part of Syria's political transition. One which has to be fully and credibly inclusive if it is to be durable and sustainable. Delivering on transitional justice involves addressing the violation of the past, restoring trust in institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and establishing the foundations for national reconciliation. A credible process must address atrocity crimes committed and must be fully responsive to the experiences of victims and survivors. In conclusion, colleagues, Greece stands ready with— stands with the Syrian people as they chart this path towards recovery. We encourage the efforts of the Syrian authorities and the national— United Nations alike, and call on the international community to remain fully engaged so that Syria's transition delivers the peace, accountability, and dignity its people deserve. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Greece, and I now invite the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the permanent representative, Zenon Mukongo Ngai.

Thank you for giving me the floor. The Ambassador is currently working on another dossier, so I've been tasked with delivering his statement. Chair, my delegation would like to thank Colombia, Denmark, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and Syria for convening this ARIA Formula meeting dedicated to transitional justice and the issue of missing persons in the Syrian Arab Republic. Furthermore, I would like to thank the briefers for their presentations as well as for the information and analysis that they have brought to our attention. Chair, the Democratic Republic of the Congo believes that societies which are putting lengthy periods of conflict behind them cannot rebuild in a lasting fashion without a genuine truth-seeking effort, an effort to recognize the suffering of victims, restore trust between citizens and institutions. Transitional justice is not an end in and of itself. It is a tool for reconciliation, for consolidating the rule of law, and preventing the reoccurrence of violence. Used with discernment, it can allow societies to cast a clear-sighted gaze at the past so as to build a common future. On this note, we've taken note of the initiatives being undertaken by the Syrian authorities, in particular the establishment of national commissions tasked with transitional justice and the missing. These are encouraging developments which should be consolidated, and this in the interest of the Syrian people. Chair, for the Democratic Republic of Congo, this message resonates deeply. The DRC has been affected for a number of decades by repeated cycles of armed violence, some of which are caused by armed group activities. Armed groups are receiving outside backing. We've also been affected by the presence of uninvited foreign troops on our territory. Hence, the Democratic Republic of the Congo understands full well how deeply these wounds left behind by conflicts can cut. Our experience has taught us that peace does not boil down to silencing the guns. It also requires for victims' suffering to be recognized, their dignity to be restored, as well as for the conditions for genuine reconciliation to be progressively established. For this reason, my delegation is following with a keen interest all initiatives which aim to promote truth, justice, reparations, as well as guarantees of non-repetition. On this note, we would like to applaud the key role played by civil society organizations. Victims associations, as well as the families of missing persons. Very often, they are the ones who are preserving the memory of the victims. They're the ones documenting violations and keeping alive the hopes of those who are still waiting for answers. Their contribution is absolutely vital to any credible transitional justice effort. And this is something underscored in the concept note for this meeting, because there cannot be genuine stability when the wounds of the past are ignored. Truth, justice, reparations, and reconciliation are the foundations on which lasting peace can be built. Chair, my delegation would like to highlight 3 points. First, the Democratic Republic of the Congo stands convinced that the success of a transitional justice process hinges on, first and foremost, national ownership. Transitional justice in Syria affects Syrians first and foremost. It should be led by Syrians For Syrians, in accordance with their priorities, their national reality, and with full respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity, and the territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic. International partners, without a doubt, have a role to play in providing expertise, technical assistance, and support. Nevertheless, the efforts of international partners cannot substitute for national institutions nor sovereign choices exercised by the Syrian people. National appropriation is the best guarantee of credibility, legitimacy, and the longevity of this process. This approach is at the heart of the philosophy behind this meeting. which emphasizes a Syrian-led process with the support of relevant United Nations mechanisms. This brings me to my second point. We'd like to encourage further constructive cooperation between the Syrian authorities and relevant United Nations mechanisms, in particular, the Independent Institution on Missing Persons. In the spirit of complementarity, mutual trust, and national capacity building for the benefit of victims and their families. Last but not least, we believe that the effective participation of victims, their families, women, and civil society is a key driver of credibility and success. A transitional justice process cannot fully fulfill its objectives unless it is inclusive, transparent, And centered on the expectations of the people in question. Chair, the Democratic Republic of the Congo stands convinced that transitional justice should not sow further tensions inherited from the past, nor should it trigger cycles of revenge. It should, on the contrary, contribute to rebuilding trust between citizens and their institutions, to consolidating the rule of law, and laying the foundations for lasting national reconciliation. Therefore, we would like to encourage and applaud the progress that's already been made by the Syrian authorities in seeking to accomplish these objectives. We reiterate our willingness to support all initiatives that are in keeping with the UN Charter, underpinned by national ownership, and likely to inch the Syrian people closer to truth, justice, reparations, reconciliation, And lasting peace.

I thank you.

Quiero darle la palabra.

I'd now like to give the floor to Latvia, the permanent representative, Sanita Pavlutė Desland. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And I also thank Colombia, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Syria for organizing today's meeting, and thank the briefers providing— for providing their insights about the hundreds of thousands missing persons in Syria and for their tireless efforts in the quest to resolve this dark chapter of the Syrian past. After decades of brutal authoritarian rule, systematic repression, persecution, and violent conflict, a comprehensive transitional justice process aimed at establishing the fate and whereabouts of the forcibly disappeared and missing persons lies at the heart of Syria's national reconciliation. Syrians, whether individually or as a society as a whole, have the right to know the truth about their loved ones who, as it is commonly said in Syria, Went behind the sun and never returned. We welcome that in relatively short time after the fall of the Assad regime, Syria's transitional government has taken important steps towards implementing transitional justice. These include the establishment of the National Commission for the Missing and the National Commission for Transitional Justice, and it is a privilege to hear The heads of both commissions briefing us here today. And we trust that Syria's government and institutions will preserve the momentum and ensure that missing persons issue remains a priority throughout Syria's transition. At a time when no action other than advocacy, documentation, and recording of testimonies was possible, families and Syrian civil society undertook invaluable work. And I would like to pay tribute to the brave Syrian women, Syrian mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, who have been the driving force behind many truth-seeking and accountability mechanisms. And their voices and experiences should be a priority. Keeping victims, affected families, and civil society at the core of all efforts is key to ensuring that process is credible and inclusive. Facilitating access to archives and former regime detention sites, as well as inspections of mass graves once ready, is critical for the identification of the victims and should be ensured to advance the process. In the near future, substantial legislative work, including the timely adoption of a comprehensive law of the— on the missing, lies ahead of the newly established People's Assembly. And we welcome the ongoing work and the expertise provided by the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic, the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism on Syria, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The international community, also through its political, legal, and financial support, should remain a committed partner to Syrian-led process. for as long as necessary. To ensure transparent, coordinated, and inclusive efforts to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, it is important that the Syrian Transitional Government and the relevant national bodies continue their constructive engagement with international mechanisms and organizations and further facilitate the work on the ground. And today's conversation is certainly a very promising sign. In conclusion, recognizing the suffering of victims, providing answers to their families, rebuilding the rule of law, and restoring confidence in public institutions are all essential steps towards healing the painful scars of the past and contributing to lasting peace in Syria. I thank you.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of Latvia, and I'd now like to give the floor to the permanent representative of Panama, Eloy Alfaro de Alba. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We'd like to thank the delegations of Denmark, Colombia, Luxembourg, and the Syrian Arab Republic Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General, for convening this ARIA Formula meeting on a matter of particular importance to support the efforts of institutional reconstruction, reconciliation, and strengthening the rule of law as foundations for consolidating a sustainable peace in Syria. Likewise, we recognize the valuable briefings provided by the briefers. The current juncture in Syria provides an opportunity to address the legacy of decades of grave human rights violations through an inclusive, transparent, victim-centered, and Syrian-led transitional justice process. This process shouldn't be seen solely as a look backwards to the past, nor as something that can be put off until the transition is concluded. Rather, it should be seen as an effort to restore the population's trust in their institutions, an opportunity to strengthen the rule of law and to contribute to sustainable peace. In this context, establishing the fate and whereabouts of missing persons is a political and humanitarian priority which cannot be sidelined in the transition. Behind every missing person, there is a family that is continuing to live without answers and in many cases without the possibility of fully exercising their rights. This uncertainty has a particular impact on many women who face obstacles related to inheritance, property administration, social services, or child custody. For this reason, the search for missing persons should go hand in hand with legal, social, and economic responses, as well as reparation measures recognizing the specific consequences of prolonged absence on relatives. Panama recognizes the efforts undertaken by Syrian authorities through the establishment of the National Commission for Transitional Justice and the National Commission for Missing Persons. We believe that the international community can constructively support these efforts through technical cooperation, capacity building, and the exchange of experiences in line with the priorities defined by Syria itself without substituting national leadership or ownership in this process. We further encourage Syrian authorities, including the People's Assembly and the relevant institutions, to continue to develop a legal and institutional framework protecting the rights of victims and facilitating the clarification of the truth. Panama also welcomes the ongoing contribution by the United Nations and other relevant international mechanisms Close and complementary cooperation between national institutions, the Independent Institution on Missing Persons, the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism, and the International Commission of Inquiry can foster the responsible exchange of information, preserve institutional memory, avoid duplications, and foster national capacities. This support should always focus at its heart on the needs of victims and contribute to establishing guarantees of non-repetition. The participation of victims, survivors, their families, and civil society, including women-led organizations, shouldn't be limited to occasional consultations. Their experience and knowledge must find safe and meaningful spaces throughout the process. Panama believes that listening to their priorities, protecting them from potential reprisals, and recognizing the work that they have done for years to document violations and preserve memory will contribute to the legitimacy and credibility of the transitional justice process. Madam Chair, establishing the fate of missing persons is a precondition for moving towards truth, justice, accountability, reconciliation, and guarantees of non-repetition, as well as to restoring trust between the Syrian society and their institutions. Panama will continue to support a Syrian-led process process supported by the international community and committed to upholding the dignity of those who continue to await answers. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Panama for that statement, and I would now like to give the floor to the representative of Bahrain, the Permanent Representative Ambassador Jamal. You have the floor.

I, I thank you. I would like to thank Denmark, Colombia, Luxembourg, and Syria for holding this meeting in the area of formula on transitional justice and the missing in the Syrian Arab Republic. I would also like to express our appreciation to the briefers, Dr.— Mr. Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Carla Quintana, the head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic, and Mr. Abdelbassad Abdellatif, head of the Syrian National Commission on Transitional Justice. And Mr. Mohammad Rida Jahi, head of the Syrian National Commission for the Missing. I thank them all for their valuable briefings. Mr. President, or rather, the co-organizers of this meeting, Bahrain stresses that achieving sustainable peace and stability in the Syrian Arab Republic requires addressing the repercussions of the conflict through inclusive national pathways that protect the dignity of human beings and entrench the rule of law towards national reconciliation and building a more stable future and a more prosperous future for the Syrian people. We think that the issue of the missing is one of the most prominent humanitarian dossiers that require continued efforts towards establishing the fate of the missing and alleviating the suffering of their families in line with humanitarian principles and international law. In this regard, we would like to recognize what has been announced by the National Commission on the Missing in Syria to develop a comprehensive legal framework to address the dossier of the missing through national consultations that include the families of the missing and relevant authorities in a manner that promotes the institutional and humanitarian approach in establishing their fate and reducing the suffering of their families and loved ones. The Kingdom of Bahrain stresses the importance of the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2474 as the first resolution that dedicates international interest and work on the situation of the missing in armed conflict, and that stresses that the necessary measures need to be taken for the search and establishment of their fate and providing information to their families towards protecting the dignity of human beings and towards building trust. In this regard, It is important for transitional justice to be Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, benefiting as well from the support and expertise of the international community and the UN and other actors in the humanitarian sphere and relevant international organizations. These include the IIMP and the International Committee of the Red Cross. It is important to engage the different components of society, including the victims and their families, in the effort of transitional justice to promote social cohesion and the values of respect, and to prevent repetition, and to achieve peace— sustainable peace and stability. In closing, we support the efforts towards security and stability in the Syrian Arab Republic, towards meeting the aspirations of the brotherly people of Syria in a safe and stable and prosperous future. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Bahrain. And I now give the floor to the Ambassador of Pakistan.

Thank you, Madam President.

We thank Colombia, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Syria for convening this important REA Formula meeting, which is a good complement to the discussions that we had in the Security Council this morning. We also thank the briefers for their valuable insights. Strengthen social cohesion in the country. And in this backdrop, we welcome the steps taken by the Syrian government, including the establishment of the National Commissions for Transitional Justice and for Missing Persons, and preparation of draft law on transitional justice. These initiatives are important for addressing the consequences of the conflict and need to be supported through appropriate legal and institutional arrangements that would enable them to fulfill their objective and respond to the legitimate expectations of victims and their families. At the same time, effective cooperation between Syrian national institutions and relevant international mechanisms can play an important role in advancing truth, justice, and accountability. International mechanisms, including the IIMP, IIIM, and the Commission of Inquiry, should operate in accordance with their respective mandates and applicable international law while complementing nationally led efforts and respecting Syria's sovereignty and national ownership. Madam President, Syria has endured years of devastating conflict. and immense suffering. As it embarks on a new chapter, the international community should support its efforts to achieve lasting peace, stability, reconciliation, and reconstruction. And Pakistan will continue to stand with the government and the people of Syria in their pursuit of a peaceful and prosperous future. I thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of Pakistan, and I would now like to give the floor to the permanent— Deputy Permanent Representative Tammy Bruce of the United States.

Thank you very much. My thanks to Syria, Colombia, Denmark, and Luxembourg for for convening this discussion on an issue of critical importance to peace and security in Syria and with wider implications throughout the Middle East region and beyond. After all, peace and security relies on a government being trusted by the people. The commitment and work in finding the missing and the scrutiny that it brings is at the heart of this trust and legitimacy. The United States thanks today's briefers and is especially pleased that the representatives of the Syrian National Commissions for Transitional Justice and the Missing could join us today. Their work in partnership with the IIIP is critical to advance the search for the missing in Syria, including American citizens kidnapped by ISIS and the Assad regime. Colleagues, nearly every Syrian family has been personally affected by the widespread and systemic use of detention, torture, and killing under the Assad regime. Families of those missing, of course, deserve answers. The United States stands with the Syrian people at this historic moment and strongly supports the Syrian government's efforts to establish peace and prosperity. We thank the National Commissions and the IIMP for updating the members of the Security Council on their work and explaining how the international community can best help them. We also expect these National Commissions— and I'll state again— to be working in partnership with the IIMP to address abuses by all parties and operate independently, transparently, and include victims, survivors, and families. We continue to encourage close cooperation between the Syrian government and the IIMP to help families get long-deserved answers, including for citizens of the United States and partner countries. None of us are looking to be placated. We are looking for missing people. We are looking for results. Enduring stability in Syria will depend on clarifying the fate and whereabouts of the more than 125,000 missing persons and advancing meaningful justice and accountability for abuses by all parties over the past 14 years. Statements, meetings, and resolutions are important, but what happens on the ground is what matters. Syria has a remarkable opportunity to work with the IIMP, bringing talent, resources, and experience that can make the difference. As Secretary Rubio has said, A peaceful, stable Syria would be one of the most dramatic improvements in the region in a very long time, and we want to do everything we can to help achieve that. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States for that statement, and I'd now like to give the floor To the Acting DPR of the United Kingdom, Archie Young.

Gracias, señora presidenta. Thank you to the missions of Colombia, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Syria for convening this important discussion. I also thank High Commissioner Türk, ASG Quintana, Mr. Abdellatif, and Dr. Yalki for their briefings. Their briefings have underlined and demonstrated the combination of international support and national ownership that is so critical in addressing this somber subject. Transitional justice and the search for the missing are central to Syria's long-term stability, to rebuild trust, restore dignity to victims and survivors, and to prevent renewed cycles of violence. The United Kingdom supports a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transitional justice process anchored in the rights and needs of victims, survivors, families of the missing, and civil society, and we acknowledge their presence here today. We welcome the establishment of the National Commission for Transitional Justice and the National Commission for the Missing, as well as work towards transitional justice legislation and proceedings relating to Assad-era violations. We commend the Syrian government for taking these important early steps. Accountability must apply to all perpetrators, all communities, and all periods of violence, and carried out with independence, transparency, fairness, and in compliance with international standards. That includes the legacy of Assad-era crimes, as well as more recent violence, including in Zawaida and the coastal areas last year. We welcome that today's briefing brings together the UN system and Syria's national institutions. OHCHR and the IIIMP have worked tirelessly over the years to pursue human rights and justice for the people of Syria. We are now pleased to see national institutions taking the lead, working in lockstep with the UN through the transition to build a stable and secure future for Syria. The United Kingdom has long supported justice and accountability for the Syrian people. We will continue to do so through technical assistance to both the Commissions for Transitional Justice and Missing Persons, through support for evidence preservation and documentation through our backing for UN international accountability mechanisms and Syrian civil society. This year, we have committed $1.2 million to accountability and documentation programs. In conclusion, we stand ready to work with the Syrian government, the United Nations, international partners, and Syrian civil society to hold all perpetrators of violence to account and help deliver truth and and accountability for all Syrians.

Thank you. I thank the representative of the United Kingdom. I would now like to give the floor to the Russian Federation.

Madam Chair, The topic of missing persons in the Syrian Arab Republic remains one of the most pressing issues atop the global humanitarian agenda. It requires the frank and, what's most important, depoliticized dialogue. After all, what lies behind the statistics, behind the reports, are thousands of personal tragedies. Madam Chair, Russia has always placed a priority on lightening the load of the fate of our friends, the Syrian people, creating the conditions for the Syrian people to develop and prosper. Against this backdrop, we deem it of critical importance to consolidate international support for the national capacity of this Arab state. In May of 2025, the authorities in Damascus expeditiously established 2 national commissions on the— on missing persons and on transitional justice are a shining demonstration of how they fully understand which of the issues the government is facing are the most acute. The difficulty lies not in the lack of foresight on the Syrian authorities' part, but on the lack of resources for resolving protracted problems in the context of an unstable domestic political situation. We are grateful to the heads of both commissions for participating in today's meeting. In this context, we do not agree with the opinion that the search for solutions should entail an imposition on Damascus cooperation with external players, including players such as special mechanisms claiming to be independent, the legitimacy of which— of these mechanisms is rather dubious. Instead, these states proffering advice should focus on how they could contribute in any way to the process of stabilizing the situation in Syria. For example, they could stop using Syria as an arena for geopolitical competition and score-settling. We believe that we all bear a responsibility in the Middle East and beyond to avoid steps which might provoke yet another wave of escalation in Syria. Madam Chair, we wholly support the course sketched out by the current authorities in Damascus, that is upholding citizens' rights irrespective of their nationality or their religion. We believe that this approach is reflected in the measures being adopted by the Syrian leadership so as to reintegrate the northeast region of the country. Having said that, we continue to receive reports attesting to the fact that the issue of ethno-religious tensions has not been fully resolved. And in fact, there are clashes on these grounds in some regions to this day. This alongside ongoing activity by terrorist cells, members of which deal in abductions and extrajudicial killings, as well as the high level of mine contamination, as a result of which people are dying cross-country. And their bodies are being left there, they have not been found for years, in addition to other factors, they are all contributing to the fact that missing persons is not a problem that's a relic of the past. Thus, what's necessary is to focus on eradicating the causes, not just on dealing with the ramifications of this problem. For this reason, it's of principal importance to ensure that the process of rebuilding state institutions and state-building that's been launched by the Syrian authorities— it's important to factor in the interests of all ethnic and religious groups in Syrian society. Otherwise, any models for the future political and social setup will be neither sustainable nor viable. We stand convinced that there is no alternative to the establishment of genuinely inclusive political process on the basis of key Security Council resolutions, specifically 2254. Establishing lasting and genuine peace within Syria is only possible if we ensure equitable intra-Syria dialogue factoring in the interests of all segments of society. I thank you.

I thank the DPR of Russia for that statement, and I'd now like to give the floor to the representative of Liberia.

You have the floor.

Liberia thanks the co-convenors for convening this timely Area Formula meeting and expresses appreciation to the distinguished briefers for underscoring the vital link between transitional justice, accounting for the missing persons, and the foundation of durable peace and reconciliation in the Syrian Arab Republic. Sustainable peace requires more than silencing of guns. It requires societies to confront the causes and consequences of conflict, rebuild trust in institutions, and ensure that victims are seen, heard, and afforded meaningful justice. A credible, inclusive, and Syrian-owned transitional justice framework is therefore essential to recovering and to preventing the reoccurrence of atrocities. The unresolved fate of tens of thousands of missing and forcibly disappeared persons remains one of the deepest wounds of the Syrian conflict. For families, uncertainty is not an abstract legal question. It is a daily burden, a prolonged grief and denial of the right to mourn with dignity. Clarifying the whereabouts of the missing is therefore both a moral imperative and indispensable confidence-building measure. Liberia encourages intensified cooperation between Syrian national mechanisms And relevant United Nations bodies, including the Independent Institution on Missing Persons, the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism, and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry, in accordance with their respective mandates and international legal status. Madam Chair, co-convenors, Liberia's own post-conflict experience teaches that lasting peace cannot be built on silence, and reconciliation cannot take root where victims are expected simply to forget. Properly pursued justice is not an obstacle to peace. It is the moral foundation on which reconciliation rests. In that spirit, we emphasize 3 points. First, victims, survivors, and families of the missing must remain at the center of every transitional justice effort. Their rights to truth, justice, reparations, and dignity must guide all policies, including access to information, psychosocial support, and participation in decisions affecting their future. Second, women, youth, civil society, and victims' associations must participate fully and meaningfully. Women in particular have helped document violations, support affected communities, and sustain local dialogue. Their leadership should be reflected throughout the transitional justice architecture. Third, intentional assistance must— international assistance must be coordinated, technical, and provided at the request of national authorities. It should strengthen domestic institutions, preserve forensic and digital evidence, and support mechanisms that can earn the confidence of the Syrian people. Madam Chair, confronting the past is not about opening wounds. It is about closing the door to their repetition. A victim-centered and nationally owned approach can strengthen the rule of law, restore public confidence, and help guarantee non-recurrence. For Syria, the road ahead will be arduous. Yet the true measure of a just peace is not only whether hostilities cease. It is whether families receive answers, victims reclaim their dignity, institutions regain integrity, and the nation can move forward without being bound by the painful truths unaddressed. To conclude, Liberia reaffirms its support for all genuine efforts that advance justice, restore dignity to victims, and foster lasting peace in Syria in alignment with the principles of the United Nations Charter.

I thank you.

I thank the representative of Liberia for that statement. I would now like to give the floor to Somalia. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to thank Denmark, Colombia, Luxembourg, and Syria for convening this REA Formula meeting. I also would like to thank the briefers for their insightful briefing. Madam Chair, for decades the Syrian people have endured immense suffering. Millions have experienced conflict, displacement, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and the loss of loved ones. These painful realities continue to cast a long shadow over Syria's future and underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive national healing process. Somalia believes that there can be no lasting peace without justice, no reconciliation without truth, and no sustainable recovery without accountability. Transitional justice is therefore not a peripheral issue. It's a cornerstone for rebuilding trust between citizens and institutions, promoting reconciliation, and preventing the recurrence of conflict. In this regard, Somalia welcomes the establishment of the Syrian National Commission on Transitional Justice and the National Commission for Missing Persons.

Commitment to addressing one of the conflict's most painful legacies. At the same time, we emphasized that transitional justice must remain Syrian-led, Syrian-owned. International partners have an important role to play by providing technical expertise, capacity building, and financial support, but they should complement, not substitute for, the leadership and ownership of the Syrian government and the people themselves. Madam Chair, the plight of the missing remains one of the deepest humanitarian tragedies of the Syrian conflict. Every missing person represents a family living with uncertainty, grief, and unanswered questions. Every family has a fundamental right to know the fate of and the whereabouts of their loved ones. Madam Chair, equally important is the need to safeguard Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity. Somalia condemns the continued military incursions inside Syrian territory by Israel, notably in recent months in the southwest, especially in and around Daraa and Quneitra. Such actions constitute clear violations of international law and the UN Charter, undermining Syria's stability, recovery, and the risk for further inflammatory tensions. We reiterate that the occupied Syrian Golan remains an integral part of the Syrian Arab Republic, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981. We call for full respect of Syria's sovereignty and strict adherence to all relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as the 1974 disengagement agreement.

In closing, Madam Chair, Somalia reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the brotherly people of Syria. We reaffirm our unwavering support for Syria's sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity. We remain convinced that a comprehensive, inclusive, and nationally owned transitional justice process, supported by the international community and grounded in accountability, reconciliation, the rule of law, and the full respect of Syria's sovereignty offers the best path forward for lasting peace, stability, and prosperity. I thank you.

I thank the political coordinator, Ghaled Ibrahim, for that statement. And I'd now like to give the floor to the representative of China. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. I thank all the briefers for their briefings. The issue of missing persons is a deep scar left on the Syrian people by more than a decade of conflict. During the political transition, efforts to address the issue should help reunite separated families, ease the suffering of relatives, promote national reconciliation, and support lasting peace and stability. China consistently advocates adherence to international law and IHL, opposes human rights violations, and rejects the politicization of human rights. Regarding the issue of transitional justice and missing persons in Syria, I would like to suggest Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to raise 3 points. First, ensure an inclusive political transition. Syria is now at a critical stage of its political transition, and the domestic situation remains fragile. For some time, the Syrian transitional government has made active efforts to advance the political transition. We encourage it to continue upholding the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned principle, carry out extensive political dialogues, address the concerns of all parties in a balanced manner, and ensure the representation of all communities in national governance. In this process, Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity must be respected. Second, actively safeguard social stability. Last year, shocking large-scale violence occurred in Syria's western coastal region and Sweida, where many innocent civilians were indiscriminately killed and foreign terrorist fighters were involved. These incidents offer painful lessons. The Syrian transitional government has a responsibility to protect the rights of all Syrians equally, fully disclose the findings of investigations into these incidents, pursue accountability in accordance with the law, ensure fairness, justice, and transparency, and prevent hatred from persisting and creating new social divisions. Third, improve people's livelihood and promote economic development. While addressing the legacy of the past, Syria must also take a positive look ahead. The Syrian people's greatest aspiration is to live a life with dignity. Syria, once one of the region's stronger economies, has huge development potential. We support the transitional government's focus on economic recovery and improving people's livelihood, and call on the international community to provide constructive support, create favorable conditions for Syria's reconstruction, and help the country return to development and prosperity as soon as possible. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the representative of China, the political coordinator, Teng Fei. I'd now like to give the floor to France, the Minister-Counselor Sylvain Formel. You have the floor.

Madam Chair, France would like to thank the organizers of this meeting as well as the briefers. As highlighted by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, during his recent visit to Damascus, it's vital for Syria's future for justice to be done. France's support for the Syrian people in this quest is unstinting. There cannot be lasting domestic peace without justice. At a time when Syria is rebuilding, France stands side by side with the Syrian people as they aspire to a peaceful and inclusive political transition, one which guarantees the rights, security, and representation for all segments of Syrian society. The United Nations must accompany Syria down this path. I would like to emphasize 3 points. Syrian commissions, and I applaud their heads with us today. We welcome their establishment and the start of judicial proceedings targeting leaders of the former regime. Now, these prosecutions must also cover the violence that's been waged ever since the regime fell. I'm referring to the violence in the coast and in Suwaida last year, first and foremost. We welcome the establishment of the Syrian Parliament and the draft bill on transitional justice, which should pave the way for legislative framework for these justice efforts. The fight against impunity is a necessary prerequisite for national reconciliation, as many speakers before me highlighted today. Strengthening the newly established Syrian institutions is absolutely vital if we prevent these atrocities from coming to be repeated. And France is mobilizing. In February of this year, in Paris, we welcomed a Syrian delegation which partook in a dialogue on transitional justice and judicial cooperation. Furthermore, France has committed to giving back to the Syrian people funds which resulted from the seizure of assets of the former family, and these funds should be channeled towards reconstruction and development. Second, Madam Chair, let's encourage the Syrian authorities to bolster their cooperation with UN mechanisms. On the path to the rule of law, the proven expertise of the United Nations is crucial. On this note, we welcome the unprecedented dialogue that's been going on for the last 18 months between UN mechanisms and the transitional authorities in Syria. But we need to go further. They need to go further. The International Impartial and Independent Mechanism and the Independent Institution on Missing Persons should establish themselves in Syria to help advance justice on the ground. And in fact, in December, a resolution was adopted on the human rights situation in Syria This resolution, I'd like to remind you, was adopted with overwhelming support, including that of Syria, something we welcome. We also call for enhanced cooperation between the Syrian authorities with the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria. Third, let's recognize the immense courage of the Syrian society, Syrian society which is working hand in hand with UN bodies. Through its witness accounts and its mobilization, civil society is working to ensure that justice efforts are victim-centered, to ensure that victims' words are heard. This is an absolutely vital pillar of the success of the transition. I thank you.

I thank the representative of France, the Minister-Counselor. Mr. Fournel, for that statement. I'd now like to hand over the moderation of the next segment to the Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, Ambassador Olivier Meiss. You have the floor.

Thank you very much, Ambassador.

I will now give the floor to Other speakers on the list. First and foremost, the representative of Switzerland speaking on behind on behalf of the Global Alliance for the Missing. You have the floor.

Merci, Monsieur le Président.

Thank you, Chair.

To make this statement on behalf of the following members of the Global Alliance for the Missing. Argentina, Azerbaijan, Colombia, Croatia, Estonia, the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, The Gambia, and my own delegation, Switzerland. The situation of missing persons in Syria, where the ICRC alone has collected over 38,000 cases, and estimates by Syrian authorities run in the hundreds of thousands, is of critical concern to the Alliance. The Alliance is pleased to see the 2 National Commissions on Missing Persons and Transitional Justice brief the Council today. Their establishment by the Syrian authorities within months of assuming power has been an important step in the Syrian transition process. While the Commission on Missing Persons is mandated to seek and provide information on the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, a mandate of humanitarian nature, its work will intersect with that of the Commission on Transitional Justice. Experience from other countries demonstrates the importance of ensuring that the 2 commissions operate in a complementary manner. They face a mammoth challenge, and the success of their work is crucial for a lasting peace in Syria. To understand the work, challenges, and opportunities from the Syrian authorities' perspective, the Alliance was privileged to be briefed directly by the head of the Syrian National Commission on Missing Persons, Dr. Reda Jalki, on 29 June. In this respect, and based on the interactions with Dr. Reda, the Alliance has the following recommendations, both for the Syrian authorities as well as for member states and international organizations supporting them. The Commission for Missing Persons has set out in detail a set of principles to guide a plan of action for the next 3 years. It is crucial for trust in the system that these principles are followed in implementing the Plan of Action. In particular, the principles of inclusivity and non-discrimination are key. The Commission needs to address all missing persons regardless of faction and place or time of disappearance. Equally, it is crucial to ensure that families have access to the Commission and are included in all processes. The Commission has articulated the necessity to ensure that scientific rigor drives the process of providing fate and whereabouts, stating that exhumations will not commence until the end of 2027 to ensure the necessary expertise is put in place. While the Commission is currently establishing partnerships with Syrian and other universities to facilitate this, it must be understood that developing these capacities is a long-term endeavor. For exhumations to start by the end of 2027, the support of international organizations with expertise in this area is required. We therefore recommend that the Commission works in close partnership with organizations like the ICRC, IIMP, and others to bridge this gap. More generally, close cooperation and coordination between all relevant actors— the National Commission, relevant international organizations, Syrian civil society, and Member States— is needed. Finally, we wish to underline the importance of sustaining political will to act on missing persons in Syria in the long term. What the 2 commissions have undertaken will indeed be a long-term task. In this respect, we urge international partners to maintain support to efforts to resolve this human tragedy in Syria, an imperative that risks drifting from focus with today's crises and the shrinking humanitarian resourcing landscape. Syria has shown the international community that it has prioritized addressing missing persons. And we must together ensure that their endeavor succeeds. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Switzerland for that statement, and I now give the floor to the representative of the European Union, the head of delegation, Ambassador Lambrinidis. You have the floor.

The candidate countries, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Iceland and Norway, Armenia, Andorra and San Marino aligned themselves with the statement. Obvious thanks to Colombia, Denmark, Luxembourg and Syria for organizing this important meeting and the briefers for sharing their insights. The European Union welcomes the establishment of the 2 national commissions On transitional justice and on missing persons. The EU provides support to both and will continue to do so, in line with a commitment to support the Syrian people in their journey towards sustainable peace, stability and justice. It is positive that the first trials are already being held in Syria. All perpetrators must be held accountable, and justice must be delivered to victims and survivors and their families. It will be important to ensure that transitional justice measures are gender-responsive and victim-centred, involve civil society, and are accompanied by guarantees of non-recurrence and measures to promote dialogue and trust, including transparent communication to the public. Moreover, coordination between national mechanisms, such as the 2 commissions and international ones, such as the Independent Institution on Missing Persons, but also the Commission of Inquiry and the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism, is crucial. We encourage the Syrian Transitional Government to further deepen their cooperation with all UN mechanisms. We are concerned by reports of intercommunal violence and human rights violations in several governorates Which accountability mechanisms should also address. We encourage the Syrian Transitional Authorities to expedite work on the draft Transitional Justice Law, to guarantee meaningful participation of survivors, women and civil society in its design, and to pay particular attention to victims of conflict-related sexual violence. We also urge the Syrian authorities to ensure that the transitional justice process is grounded in and implemented in full respect of international human rights law. We commend the formation of the Syrian People's Assembly and hope it will be able to play an important role in moving this crucial issue forward. Colleagues, in November 2025, the European Union, together with Syrian civil society and the Syrian Transitional Authorities, organized the first-ever Day of Dialogue in Syria. Bringing together more than 300 representatives to discuss how best to support the ongoing transition. We intend to convene a second day of dialogue later this year. We encourage other Member States to contribute to humanitarian and early recovery funding. This is essential to any credible transition, and it is important that it does not lag behind the political commitments made. Thank you.

I thank the European Union for that statement, and I now give the floor to the representative of Slovenia.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank Denmark, Colombia, Luxembourg, and of course Syria for convening today's Area Meeting. I also thank the briefers for their valuable reflections. We welcome the heads of the 2 Commissions, Mr. Abdul Latif and Mr. Yalki, to the UN. The members of the Security Council had a chance to meet members of both Commissions in December in Damascus, and we commend continuous dialogue between Commissions and the members of the Security Council on missing persons and on accountability. Colleagues, let me start by welcoming the establishment of the new Syrian People's Assembly, which marks another welcome step in the country's political transition. This is a crucial step forward in restoring legislative institutions, strengthening accountability, advancing national dialogue and transitional justice. Essentially, laying the foundations for a sustainable peace. It should also help pave the way for a new permanent constitution and inclusive elections at the end of the transition. To contribute to today's deliberations, Slovenia would like to offer the following thoughts for reflection. First, a new chapter in the relationship between the United Nations and Syria should be reflected in a strong UN presence in Damascus to support Syria's recovery. We welcome the announcement of the upcoming visit of the Secretary-General to Syria. To recall the words of the Security Council members during last December's trip to Syria, the UN is ready to help build the bridge to a better future for all Syrians. An enhanced UN presence should reflect that message. This applies also to a permanent presence of the Office of the Special Envoy The IIIM and the Independent Institution on Missing Persons. It would facilitate daily contacts and strengthen mutual trust in order to help deliver directly on the ground. Second, accountability and transitional justice is a cornerstone of sustainable peace. Truth and justice help societies to move beyond the past. Clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing persons is an essential part of this process. This is not only a moral imperative, but a legal obligation. In line with international human rights law, families have the right to know the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones, while States have an obligation to investigate disappearances, ensure accountability, and provide effective remedies to victims. Moreover, effective prosecution of international crimes requires robust mechanisms for mutual legal assistance, such as the Ljubljana-The Hague Convention. Third, in numerous conflicts, including the Syrian crisis, women and mothers are at the forefront of the pursuit of justice, spearheading search efforts and raising awareness. Likewise, Syria's political transition depends on the meaningful participation of women and minorities. Only a Syria that reflects the full diversity of its society and where everyone feels that they have a meaningful place, can become a stable, peaceful, and secure country. Mr. Chair, finally, Slovenia reaffirms its support for Syria's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and we stand ready to assist a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transition. I thank you.

Thank you, Representative of Slovenia. The floor is to the representative of Türkiye.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Türkiye welcomes the convening of this ARIA Formula meeting on transitional justice and missing persons in the Syrian Arab Republic. We thank the organizers, Colombia, Denmark, Luxembourg, and the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as the briefers for their valuable remarks.

Mr.

Chair, The issue of missing persons remains one of the most tragic and pressing humanitarian consequences of the Syrian conflict. The Syrian people can only look to the future with confidence if the wounds of the past are healed and longstanding grievances are addressed. In this context, the reconstruction of Syria extends beyond economic recovery and the restoration of critical infrastructure. It also requires the establishment of a credible, and inclusive transitional justice process. We commend the Syrian government's determination and ongoing national efforts to advance transitional justice. We firmly believe that efforts to address the issue of missing persons must be Syrian-led and Syrian-owned. In this respect, we welcome the initiatives undertaken by the Syrian authorities to advance this critical process. The judicial proceedings against those responsible for human rights violations committed under the former regime represent an important step toward accountability and the restoration of public trust. We also appreciate the establishment and work of the National Commissions for Transitional Justice and for Missing Persons. In this regard, the complementary work of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons and the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism is of great importance, and it is essential that these bodies coordinate closely with the Syrian authorities. At the same time, the international community should continue supporting Syria's capacity-building efforts, while ensuring that such assistance is aligned with the needs and priorities identified by the Syrian authorities. Mr. Chair, as one of the countries hosting the world's largest refugee populations, including many Syrians, Türkiye supports all credible efforts to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons Syria. From the very beginning of the conflict, Türkiye has prioritized the protection of civilians and the preservation of human dignity. We have consistently advocated for accountability and justice for victims of enforced disappearances. In conclusion, Mr. Chair, Türkiye reiterates its support for the Syrian government's initiatives on transitional justice and missing persons, as well as for the valuable contributions of IIMP. We stand ready to support collective efforts aimed at clarifying the fate of missing persons and alleviating the suffering of their families.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of Türkiye for her statement, and I now give the floor to the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Let me begin by thanking Colombia, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Syria for convening this meeting. And the preppers for their insights. The Republic of Korea and the Syrian Arab Republic established diplomatic relations in April 2025. My government has since turned that opening into substance. Our humanitarian assistance through the United Nations rose more than threefold last year to $38 million. We operate not as a distant donor, but as a people who know what it is to rebuild from the ashes of war, in the sincere hope that it may become one stone in the foundation of Syria's recovery. Mr. Chair, no future is built on a buried past. For several decades, Syrians endured enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention. Behind these violations stands a family that still does not know where their loved one lies. My own country deeply resonated with this grief. From our own wrong and imperfect reckoning, we learned that truth-seeking is not obstacle to reconciliation, it is its precondition. Against this backdrop, let me offer 3 points. First, First, transitional justice must be Syrian-led and nationally owned. Late last year, this Council visited Damascus and engaged with Syrians across the divides that once set them against one another. One conviction stood out: this process must belong to Syrians themselves. Such ownership is what makes justice endure. And we encourage close coordination among the relevant national commissions and international mechanisms, including the IIMP and Triple M and the COI. Second, the process must be victim-centered in practice. My country has learned through its own contested history that transitional justice finds its meaning and legitimacy only when victims are the authors of a process not each object. Survivors, families, and civil society must be able to participate meaningfully and safely. The search for the missing requires sustained support. Since 2025, my government has partnered with the ICRC, nearly $11 million to trace the missing and return remains to their families. reaching 16,000 people in Syria alone. Mr. Chair, the Republic of Korea stands firmly with the Syrian people, above all with every family awaiting an answer. I thank you.

I thank the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea for his statement, and I now give the floor to the Representative of Kuwait.

I thank you, Mr. Chair. Our delegation associates itself with the statement delivered by Switzerland on behalf of the Global Alliance for the Missing. We would also like to, to thank the organizers and co-sponsors and the briefers for their valuable inputs. Mr. Chair, the State of Kuwait renews, reaffirms the importance of transitional justice in achieving national reconciliation and establishing establishing the rule of law and the prevention of the recurrence of conflict and violations. The State of Kuwait welcomes the national efforts exerted by the government of the sisterly Arab Republic of Syria to deal with the legacy of the past, including through the 2 national commissions on transitional justice and missing persons. Our country reaffirms its care to make the necessary efforts to uncover the fate of the missing persons in Syria in accordance with Resolution 2474, which has a uniquely humanitarian aspect, and it calls for taking all the necessary measures to search for those reported missing in armed conflicts and verifying their fate and returning their remains and establishing the necessary channels to communicate with the families during the searching— the search process. Kuwait recalls and understands this humanitarian crisis with all the pain it entails. We note that the missing are a continuous tragedy and a continuation of suffering where entire families are waiting in pain and with great patience to learn of the fate of their loved ones. The State of Kuwait believes that establishing transitional justice in Syria cannot be done in isolation from enhancing the capacities of the Syrian state. Any approach that would be successful in transitional justice must be accompanied by wider efforts to support early recovery and reconstruction and improving humanitarian and economic conditions. My country, Kuwait, reiterates here that the current phase provides an important opportunity to the international community to offer support to Syria in a constructive and responsible manner, and far away from any political polarization, and in a manner that supports the Syrian state institutions and allows them to shoulder their responsibilities to arrive at a future with justice, security, stability, and prosperity. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Kuwait for his intervention, and I now give the floor to the representative of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Chair, at the outset, I'd like to express our appreciation to you and the organizers for holding this important session on transitional justice and missing persons in the Syrian Arab Republic of Syria. I thank the briefers for their statements.

Mr.

Chair, I would like to emphasize the following points. First, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supports Syria's unity and sovereignty and territorial integrity. We support the efforts of the Syrian state to impose —this authority on all its territory. And here we call on the international community to support the efforts of the Syrian government aimed at maintaining stability in Syria, which in turn would maintain the security and stability of the wider region. Second, we welcome the efforts made to lift and/or remove Syria's name from the state— the list of state sponsors of terrorism, which would help build a new, safe, and prosperous Syria. Third, in terms of transitional justice, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stresses the importance of exerting combined international efforts to offer tangible, real support to the Syrian government at this sensitive transitional stage. We stress the important role of the U.N. here, and we call upon the international community and the United Nations and specialized agencies to offer all forms of support to the Syrian government and to cooperate with it in a manner that would contribute towards completing the transitional phase as is anticipated, and to support early recovery and reconstruction. The Kingdom condemns very strongly all the Israeli repeated aggressions and incursions into the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. We consider this a blatant violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We also believe that these are in violation of the United Nations Charter and the tenets of international law. They constitute a threat to the security and stability of Syria and to peace and security in the region. We stress the importance of Israel abiding fully to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia calls for an end to the repeated Israeli violations and for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal from Syrian territories into which they incurred— into which they entered recently, and from the occupied Syrian Golan, which would contribute peace and stability in Syria. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reiterates its firm support for the Syrian people towards building a peaceful, safe, and prosperous Syria that is based on justice, equality, and the rule of law, and in a manner that preserves the rights of all Syrians. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Saudi Arabia for his statement, and I now give the floor to the permanent representative of Brazil.

You have the floor.

Mr. Chair, Brazil thanks the organizers for convening this important discussion and the briefers for their insights. Brazil and Syria share deep and longstanding ties. Brazil is home to one of the world's largest communities of Syrian origin, whose contribution to my country is an integral part of its national identity. These bonds reinforce our solidarity with the Syrian people, and our commitment to a peaceful and inclusive future for Syria. As active defenders of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, we condemn enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and other serious violations. Clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing persons is both a humanitarian imperative and an essential component of any credible transitional justice process. There are wounds that can never be fully mended, but transitional justice can lay the groundwork for collective redemption. In a post-conflict setting, truth, accountability, and reparation are crucial steps towards national healing, peacebuilding, and ultimately the achievement of a lasting peace. Brazil supports a Syrian-led nationally owned, inclusive and human rights-based process that places victims, survivors and their families at its center. Their meaningful and safe participation, including that of women-led organizations and civil society, is indispensable to truth-seeking, reparations, reconciliation and guarantees of non-recurrency. We welcome efforts to establish national institutions dedicated to transitional justice and missing persons. Their effectiveness will depend on autonomy, transparency, adequate funding and close coordination with victims' associations and relevant international mechanisms, in accordance with international law and due process guarantees. In this regard, the Peacebuilding Commission's advisory role could be harnessed in support of a comprehensive transitional justice strategy, in line with the principle of national ownership. Transitional justice should help rebuild trust in public institutions and strengthen the rule of law. It must be pursued in accordance with international law, with due regard for accountability, due process and the prevention of further cycles of violence or collective retribution. Accountability in these terms will contribute to Syria's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is a Syrian objective that the international community must support wholeheartedly. Thank you.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Brazil for his intervention. And I now give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein.

Thank you very much. President, the fall of the Assad regime on December 24th marked the end of a decade-long period of suffering, but also the long-awaited promise of an opportunity for Syrians to rebuild their society and freely determine their own future. These changes also bring challenges rooted in the former regime's system of oppression. We reiterate today the necessity of reckoning with the period of history marked by atrocity crimes through a robust transitional justice process, and we welcome the convening of this meeting this afternoon. Member States can and should play a strong supportive role in addressing the collective trauma caused by these mass atrocities committed by the former Syrian regime and assist efforts to rebuild trust and ensure that Syrian authorities work inclusively, with all communities to prevent outbreaks of violence such as in the Southern Governorate last year. We are pleased to hear today from both the head of the Syrian National Commission on Transitional Justice and the Syrian National Commission for the Missing. They deserve our support in their efforts to address history and help Syrians to turn the page. on a difficult path. On the missing persons and transitional justice files, we highlight the roles of the IMP, the Commission of Investigation, and the IIIM, and encourage their continued collaboration, both with each other and with Syrian-led and owned organizations. On this note, we are grateful Thank you. Thank you to ASG Quintana for her briefing. Liechtenstein fully supports the mechanism and commends the progress made in the time since the end of the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Determining the fate of the people who have gone missing is an integral part of the process of transitional justice and of the difficult healing process for the Syrian people. With respect to the IIIM, we commend the work accomplished by the Mechanism under the leadership of Mr. Robert Petit. Thanks to the Syrian authorities' assistance, the Mechanism has begun conducting investigative activities in Syria in support of extraterritorial prosecutions for the first time last year. It has deepened its dialogue with the Syrian authorities and continued engaging with other relevant actors. creating the basis for close cooperation. We encourage the mechanism to continue facilitating investigations of the most serious crimes, while Syrian authorities receive capacity-building support enabling them to process more cases as their expertise grows. We do encourage the Syrian authorities to continue expanding operational access to the relevant mechanisms established by the UN and their presence on the ground. I thank you.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein for his intervention, and I now give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Austria.

Thank you, Mr. President, dear Olivier. At the outset, let me express my gratitude to Colombia, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Syria for convening this ARIA Formula meeting. I thank the briefers for their insights, and the Secretary-General's latest report clearly documents important progress. Austria strongly welcomes all those achievements, and as the PR of Syria is here, This is also your achievement. President, clarifying the fate of the missing builds the trust on which national reconciliation depends. At the same time, this work can only succeed within a broader environment of stability and recovery. And on this broader environment, I would like to make 3 points. First, we support an orderly and peaceful transition towards a stable and inclusive political system. Respect for human rights, including women's rights and the protection of all ethnic and religious groups, are of utmost importance. In this regard, we welcome the completion of the People's Assembly through the appointment of the final 70 members and its inaugural session on 12 July. Second, Austria welcomes the lifting of most EU, UN and US sanctions to support economic reconstruction and an inclusive transition. We advocate further adjustments, including delisting and incentives to support this transition. The focus should now be on building state institutions, democratization, investment, combating poverty, and reintegrating Syria into international markets and systems, including the banking and financial sectors. Third, the reconstruction of houses and infrastructure is an essential element in fostering the return of Syrian citizens. Austria stands ready to work together with the Syrian government towards the recovery and reconstruction. The Syrian population needs economic perspectives, including for their return. Let me close with the actors who make this work possible on the ground. The ICRC has stood by Syrians throughout the conflict, and its tracing and forensic experience remains irreplaceable. And UN must continue to play a central role in accompanying Syria's transition. In particular, we call for the swift relocation of the offices of the Special Envoy to Damascus. And in the same spirit, we encourage the Syrian authorities to enable the independent institutions' permanent presence in Damascus. You can count on Austria as a reliable partner. I thank you.

Thank you.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Austria for his statement, and I now give the floor to Australia.

Thank you very much, President. Australia thanks Colombia, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Syria for convening this important discussion, and also the briefers for sharing their advice and their priorities. Australia recognizes the steps the Syrian Transitional Government has taken, to address past atrocities, promote accountability, and support national reconciliation after years of conflict, including the work of Syria's National Commission for Transitional Justice to gather and preserve evidence, engage with affected communities, and help support the prosecution of former officials for atrocities committed under the Assad regime. Australia encourages further steps to address the full scope of conflict atrocities and to bolster the meaningful participation of those most affected— victims, survivors, and their families— and I acknowledge their presence here today. We support a Syrian-led transitional justice process grounded in international law, in transparency, and in close cooperation between Syria's commissions, civil society, and key United Nations mechanisms. In particular, we highlight the vital and complementary roles that the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic, the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism and the Commission of Inquiry continue to play in locating missing persons, collecting, preserving, and analyzing evidence, and monitoring ongoing incidents. President, reconstruction requires more than rebuilding infrastructure. Lasting peace requires rebuilding confidence in institutions, in accountability, and in the protection of all Syrians. Australia remains committed to supporting an inclusive and accountable Syrian-led transition that helps deliver a peaceful future for all Syrian people. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Australia for her contribution, and I now have the pleasure to hand over the moderation to my dear colleague, Ambassador Ibrahim Olabi, the PR of Syria. Please, Ibrahim.

Thank you very much, dear Ambassador Olivier. I now give the floor to the representative of Germany.

Thank you, Mr. President, and many thanks to Colombia, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Syria for convening this meeting today, and also our thanks to the briefers for their contributions and insights. Syria's path to lasting reconciliation hinges on accountability. This generational task for Syria requires political will, sustained civil society participation, and a clear comprehensive strategy backed by expertise and supported by the United Nations and its Member States. Germany welcomes Syria's commitment to transitional justice and to addressing the painful issue of the missing. The holding of the inaugural session of the People's Assembly is a key milestone towards adopting the Transitional Justice Law, we stand firmly behind the UN efforts in support of this Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process. In this regard, I would like to make 3 short remarks. First, Germany remains committed to supporting the transitional justice process in Syria. Already before the fall of the Assad regime, Germany provided €3 to €4 million annually to UN and NGO-implemented justice and accountability efforts. We have since expanded our cooperation with the Syrian authorities, and we stand ready to continue supporting the National Commissions, including through capacity building and exchange with German institutions such as the Archives of the Former East German Secret Police. In this regard, we welcome the constructive cooperation between the National Commission of Transitional Justice and the UN team of experts experts on the rule of law and sexual violence in conflict. This will help ensuring an inclusive, survivor-centered process responsive to CISV. Second, we note that the first trials for crimes committed by the Assad regime are now underway. We encourage Syria to involve in this challenging process the UN mechanisms and international bodies such as ICMP and the ICRC. And we hope that IIIM and IIIP will be granted full access, including through establishing local offices. Third and finally, justice must be delivered swiftly, effectively, and impartially to all, regardless of the victim's or the perpetrator's identity. Survivors, victims, and their families must be at the center of this process. They must be able to participate meaningfully and receive the required support. To this end, transparent and coordinated information sharing among national and international actors remains critical. Thank you.

I thank the Deputy Representative of Germany for his statement. And in addition, in addition of having the World Cup, the PR of Spain, now you have the floor as well.

Muchas gracias. Thank you for giving me the floor, and thank you for the congratulations. It was a great victory at the World Cup. Thank you very much, and it was a great World Cup. Spain is grateful for the convening of this meeting and is also grateful for the briefings. After years of conflict, violence, arbitrary detention. Tensions, forced disappearances, and grave human rights violations, the matter of transitional justice is an essential condition to establish national reconciliation, to restore trust in institutions, and the future stability of Syria. Spain reaffirms that there can be no lasting peace without truth, justice, reparation, and guarantees of nonrepetition. We stand before a historic opportunity to support all Syrian citizens in building a lasting peace. For this reason, it's essential to continue supporting the peaceful and inclusive political transition process in Syria and ensure that all Syrians feel part of their nation. Syria's stability is also key to achieving a lasting peace across the entire region. Spain is committed to the political transition process in Syria, and we recognize the work of Syrian authorities through the National Commission on Transitional Justice and the National Commission on Missing Persons. It's important that both commissions operate under the highest international standards, guaranteeing their full independence and impartiality and their cooperation with the United Nations. Support for the victims is a priority of Spain's foreign policy. We believe that it is vitally important to ensure the effective involvement of victims and civil society in the transitional justice process in Syria. The families of missing persons have played a fundamental role in the quest for truth, in the preservation of memory, and in promoting reconciliation. The participation of Syrian women's associations is also crucial— this in line with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Their full, equal, and effective participation in all decision-making processes in Syria will ensure the success of the transition that has been launched. Spain will continue to support Syrian institutions and the Syrian people to advance in this direction. Chairman, we stand at a crucial time for Syria and its people in which, together with the challenge of rebuilding and consolidating legitimate institutions and democratic institutions after a decade of conflict, there are worrisome internal and external pressures, a profound humanitarian crisis, millions of displaced and refugees, security challenges in light of the current regional geopolitical situation. Syria will only be able to overcome these challenges if we are able to guarantee the full respect for its sovereignty, sovereign independence, and territorial integrity. The international community must support these Syrian efforts by respecting national leadership, fully promoting universality indivisibility, and independence of all human rights, the rule of law, and the fight against impunity. In this context, Spain steadfastly supports national and international efforts to ensure accountability and combat impunity in Syria. We highlight the work of the international mechanism— the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria established by the UN General Assembly, which we support through regular financial contributions. We encourage other countries to support the mechanism and international and national efforts to support accountability processes in Syria. Finally, and to conclude, Spain will continue to defend transitional justice as an essential component to ensure that Syria can move towards a peaceful, inclusive political process guaranteeing the fundamental rights of all citizens without any form of discrimination, in strict compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law.

Thank you.

This is a commitment through which Syria can count on the full support of Spain. Thank you very much.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Spain for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Japan.

I thank you, Mr. President. I thank the organizer and co-sponsors for convening this. Thank you, Mr. President, for hosting this meeting, and I thank the briefers for their valuable insights. Since the fall of the former authority, the situation both within and outside Syria has undergone dramatic changes. Japan is committed to providing concrete support for an inclusive, peaceful, and stable transition led by the Syrian government and its people, both bilaterally and in coordination with the international community. We welcome the progress made— being made in the political transition process, including last week's inaugural session of the People's Assembly. At the same time, numerous challenges remain, including domestic security issues and economic recovery. And these challenges must be addressed effectively to gain strong support from Syrians as well as the international community. Japan firmly supports the work of the Independent Institution of Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic for their role in supporting Syrian-led and Syrian-owned efforts to clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons and provide support to their families. This is not only a humanitarian imperative, but contributes to national reconciliation and transitional justice, fostering social cohesion and restoring dignity to victims. Japan welcomes the IIMP's continued collaboration with the Syrian authorities, including the National Commission on Missing Persons, and the development of their joint work plan last December. We also commend its growing cooperation with international stakeholders, including the ICRC, family associations, and civil society organizations toward effective implementation of its mandate. Mr. President, Japan stands in solidarity with the victims, survivors, and families of missing persons in Syria. We remain committed to supporting efforts to uncover the truth, advance justice, and support a Syrian-led transition to a lasting peace. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Japan for your statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Estonia.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Estonia aligns itself with the statement of the European Union and the statement of the Global Alliance for the Missing. We thank Colombia, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Syria for organizing the meeting, and the preface for their invaluable insights. For decades, the Syrian people have suffered systematic repression, enforced disappearances, unlawful killings, arbitrary detentions, and other violations. Despite the fall of the Assad regime, hundreds of thousands of Syrians continue to live in uncertainty about the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones. Their suffering is not over before they know the truth. The search for missing persons is therefore urgent. Estonia commends the work of all entities that work— that are working tirelessly to find answers to the families and close ones of thousands of missing persons. We strongly support the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process led by the National Commission for Missing Persons. We emphasize that this is a collective undertaking. Strong cooperation with international actors, including the Independent Institution of Missing Persons, the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism, and the Commission of Inquiry accelerates the progress towards the shared goal. Clarifying the fates and whereabouts of missing persons is a humanitarian imperative. Estonia supports— Estonia's support to Syrian humanitarian crisis has been more than €12.6 million since 2011. We have funded the activities of ICRC, UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA, IOM, and WFP. In addition, Estonia's NGOs are improving the education and livelihoods of IDPs and Syrian refugees in neighboring countries, including helping to develop young people's digital skills. Estonia remains steadfast in its commitment to international humanitarian law, and we welcome Syria's entry to the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to International Humanitarian Law. While the mandate is humanitarian in nature, the impact of establishing the truth reaches far beyond humanitarian sphere. It is an essential element of transitional justice, which in turn is a key component of national reconciliation and lasting peace. For transitional justice, it is equally important to guarantee non-recurrence and address accountability. While significant challenges persist, Syria has demonstrated its commitment to address them, and the international community must maintain its support to ensure that their endeavour succeeds. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Estonia for her statement, and now I give the floor to the last speaker inscribed on the speakers' list, the representative of the Netherlands.

Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the Benelux countries, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, we would like to thank the organizing member states and the briefers for today's session. We align ourselves with the statement delivered by the European Union. More than a decade of conflict has left hundreds of thousands of Syrians searching for answers about the fate and whereabouts of living— of missing loved ones. Behind every statistic is a family living with uncertainty, grief, and the painful absence of closure. The Benelux countries remain firmly committed to a Syrian-led, victim-centered, and rights-based transitional justice process. Transitional justice constitutes a fundamental pillar of any serious path toward building sustainable peace and stability. Any delay in advancing transitional justice does not only jeopardize the future but poses serious challenges today. We would like to highlight 3 points. First, strong complementarity between national institutions and international actors is vital. We encourage structured cooperation between the Syrian National Commissions on Transitional Justice and on Missing Persons with the IIMP, the IIIM, and the Commission of Inquiry, with robust safeguards for victims' consent, data protection, and evidence preservation. Second, transitional justice must address violations of all parties, past and present. Any legal framework that limits accountability to crimes of a single period or actor risks undermining victims' trust, entrenching impunity, and sowing the seeds of future violence. Third, we encourage the Syrian government to pursue its efforts and build national ownership. The national commissions should clearly communicate their work to the public and meaningfully engage victims and civil society. The full, equal, and meaningful participation of women throughout the process must be ensured. The Benelux countries will continue to support international accountability, transitional justice, and efforts to clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria and support their families. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the Netherlands. Colleagues, this brings us to the end of this session. If you allow me, I'll just deliver very quick closing remarks. I'll also be making 3 points. On the way into this session— and that's going to be my first— I told my colleagues here while I was briefing them that they're going to come into a room friends. Thank you for proving me right. Finally, this issue is a matter of consensus, a matter where there is national ownership, where there's national effort, international support from the Secretariat and the organizations, and from the member states. My second point is that you have heard of the efforts that my colleagues are doing on the ground. The Commission being here, the victims and the survivors and their families coming all the way from Syria to be here with us today is not something that is easy. But it shows that our efforts are real. It shows that your efforts are real. Here in New York, there is a lot that we can do. You have proven that you can stand with the Syrian people in the past, and now, where the situation has allowed itself further and further, it's time to prove that we can do that again, together, with national ownership, as you have said. My final point is that, as a reminder, that Colombia and Syria are putting together an initiative to present a text to the GA before the 81st session. starts. We'll be circulating a letter later to this effect that shows what, what the effort is and why we're doing it. Today, this or that effort is about Syrian women, Colombian women, and women from all across the world who have worked so hard to reveal the fate of the missing. Some of them are with us here today, but I hope that the effort that Colombia and Syria will be leading on with your support is something that we can do to honor all women across the world who have worked tirelessly to uncover the missing. Finally, I would really like to thank the Permanent Representatives, the Ambassadors, the Deputy Ambassadors who have been with us, some throughout the whole event, some who managed through their tight schedule to come and to present. So please, to the experts with us in the room, do please thank them for us personally, but thank you to all the experts in the room for what I know helps in preparing briefing remarks and positions and discussing with capitals. This event for us is not just a, you know, I was just going to say not a one-off, but it is an event that really is meaningful because I have colleagues from Damascus who have heard supporting statements while they confront some of the most horrific legacies. I get to work also on things that are hopeful and optimistic, but my colleagues who work on the missing, who work on transitional justice, have to confront the crimes of the last 14 years and the last 60 years. every single day, and they can come here calm and collected to present how they would like to do this together with you, the international community. Thank you again. Please stay safe. It seems a bit stormy outside judging by some of the raincoats that came in, and I look forward to what we can do together. Thank you.