Prioritising Peace and Justice: Advancing and Harmonising Legal Accountability Frameworks in Syria

The fall of the brutal Assad regime in December 2024 has facilitated many opportunities for Syrians to rebuild their society after decades of repression and suffering. The path forward has presented both critical challenges and historic opportunities including the need to acknowledge and address legacies of mass atrocities, manage ongoing systemic human rights violations, and the devastation of war while laying the foundations for peace, stability, and democratic governance. Justice and accountability are central to this transition- yet the mechanisms to achieve them remain fragmented with political, legal and practical obstacles.

So far, the interim Syrian government has expressed a desire to prioritize civil peace, transitional justice, and the restoration and reform of legal institutions to ensure accountability and national reconciliation. However, the domestic situation remains volatile with the risk of new atrocity crimes, including sectarian violence.

This event will explore the challenges and opportunities to advance a successful transition in Syria and take stock of key developments over the past 9 months. The Panel of experts including UN representatives, legal and policy experts, Syrian civil society and academics will discuss an end to rampant impunity and how accountability can be advanced in a way that supports both peacebuilding and institutional reform, grounded in a respect for  the rule of law and human rights which also promotes dialogue to prioritize guarantees of non-recurrence.

Opening remark videos by

• Amb. Stephen Rapp, Senior Visiting Fellow of Practice at the Blavatnik School
• Margaret Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers