Fawza Youssef, member of the presidential body of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) (left) and Mohammed Ismail, head of the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) (right) during the closing statement at the Kurdish unity conference in northeast Syria (Rojava) on April 26, 2025. Photo: Screengrab/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish political groups in Syria have agreed on a joint vision for a decentralized, democratic state that guarantees Kurdish rights and calls for a national dialogue to reshape the country's future, according to the final statement issued by a conference held on Saturday in northeast Syria (Rojava).
“Based on historical responsibility and in response to the requirements of the current stage, a joint Kurdish political vision has been formulated that expresses a collective will and its project for a just solution to the Kurdish issue in Syria as a decentralized democratic state,” read the statement.
The vision safeguards Kurdish ethnic rights, upholds international human rights principles and treaties, and promotes women's rights and participation across political, social, and military spheres.
“It contributes to building a new Syria that accommodates all its people without exclusion or marginalization of any of its components, away from unilateral domination in thought and practice,” the statement read.
The Kurdish Unity and Consensus in Western Kurdistan Conference, gathering over 400 Kurds from Syria, Kurdistan Region and Turkey, took place as Kurds are navigating their future in the new Syria.
The conference’s final statement recommended its vision be adopted as a foundation for national dialogue among Kurdish political groups, the new administration in Damascus, and all Syrian forces. It said the goal is to create an inclusive Syria that respects the rights of all communities and strengthens the country’s role as a stabilizing force in the region.
At the conference, it was also agreed to form a joint Kurdish delegation to promote and implement this vision through dialogue with relevant parties.
Kurds in Rojava, like other minorities in Syria, are concerned about the centralization of power and reliance on Islamic jurisprudence in the transitional constitution that has been adopted by the interim government in Damascus.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed to form an “inclusive transitional government that would reflect Syria's diversity,” but has faced domestic and international criticism that he has marginalized minority communities.
An advisor to the Kurdish-led administration in Rojava issued a warning if Kurdish rights are ignored.
“Failure to resolve the Kurdish issue in Syria will lead to instability, and rights, democracy, and justice will be rendered meaningless in Syria's future. Rather, oppression and tyranny will be the defining characteristic of that future,” Bedran Chiya wrote on X on Saturday.
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