The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) held thirteen symposia over the past three months with representatives of the political spectra and parties, civil society organizations, tribal sheikhs, religious figures, intellectuals, prominent community figures, and representatives of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), encompassing all communities in North and East Syria.

The symposia culminated in a national conference in the final week of November 2020, called the “National Conference of the People of the Jazira and Euphrates Regions,” including 300 participants from all previous symposia. The conference had the aim of addressing proposals and recommendations on the intra-Syrian dialogue and the political solution, ensuring equality and the rights of all communities in a unified Syria, enhancing participation in the institutions of the autonomous administration, and developing and empowering autonomous and civil administrations in the region. Participants drafted a final statement from the conference, outlining key decisions reached at the conference. They sent the statement to foreign ministers across the globe.

The final statement of the conference reads as follows:

Final Statement of the National Conference of the People of the Jazira and Euphrates Regions

After the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) held thirteen symposia and a series of public meetings, practicing democracy for the region of North and East Syria (NES) with the aim of guaranteeing equality and the rights of all communities in a unified Syria, enhancing participation in the institutions of the autonomous administration, and developing and empowering self and civil administrations in the region, the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) held the National Conference of the People of Jazira and Euphrates Regions, wherein about 300 members from all communities in North and East Syria participated, in addition to representatives of the political  spectra and parties, civil society organizations, tribal sheikhs, religious figures, intellectuals, prominent community figures, and representatives of the Autonomous  Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and the Syrian Democratic Forces  (SDF), from all communities in North and East Syria. 

During the conference, many opinions and proposals were put forward regarding  the Intra-Syrian dialogue, ways to participate in the political process, ending tyranny, terrorism, and occupations, developing and empowering the AANES, guaranteeing freedoms and rights, implementing law, achieving social justice and  equality, the safe and voluntary return of displaced people, ending all forms of  forced demographic change, releasing political prisoners, and the disclosure of any  information about the kidnapped and forcibly disappeared. 

The conference resulted in the following decisions: 

1. Find solutions for the Syrian crisis in accordance with the Geneva  Declaration, UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and all relevant UN  resolutions, emphasizing the need for the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) to 

be involved in the entire process, to achieve the goals of the Syrian people in  a democratic, pluralistic, and a decentralized state. 

2. Follow up on the dialogue with all the Syrian parties that believe in a national  political solution and a democratic change. 

3. Prepare for local elections in the AANES areas of North and East Syria within  a period not exceeding one year. 

4. Restructure the institutions of the administrative system in North and East  Syria with the aim of reducing bureaucratic practices. 

5. Reassess the work and performance of personnel and staff of the AANES, and  work on developing, empowering, and expanding the administration and  providing it with technocrats. 

6. Preserve peace and social security, consolidate concepts of citizenship and  accepting the other, combat intolerance and extremism in all ways, and  strengthen cohesion between the communities to avoid strife targeting the  national societal structure. 

7. Empower and strengthen the role of women and youth in all institutions. 8. Support the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the war against terrorism and  extremism, with the support of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, in order to  preserve security and stability. 

9. Reform the judiciary to ensure its independence and integrity. 10. Oblige the security institutions to be operated by the force of law and the court order, and develop their work and performance in line with human  rights principles. 

11. Combat corruption and activate the central control and inspection  department within AANES institutions. 

12. Develop strategic economic development plans, facilitate investments, and  give priority to national investments. 

13. Ensure the local management of commodities and raw materials, prevent  monopoly, monitor markets, and set prices in proportion to the national  income. 

14. Combat smuggling, control border crossings, and reassess tax and customs  fees. 

15. Empower the agricultural sector, support farmers, provide agricultural  supplies, and rationalize exports, especially livestock and agricultural crops. 16. Develop and improve the educational system and its facilities, provide  scientific curricula, raise the level of educational staff and qualify them, and  find a mechanism for the recognition of the educational process which is  operating in the AANES areas. 

17. Call on the international community for the reconstruction of the destroyed  areas that are liberated by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for the return  of the displaced people to their homes. 

Hassakeh 
November 25, 2020 
The National Conference of the People of Jazira and Euphrates Regions