Geneva: The Kurdish-led administration governing northeast Syria has firmly rejected a constitutional declaration issued by Syria’s new Islamist leadership, calling for it to be rewritten. The declaration, unveiled on Thursday, outlines the framework for a five-year transitional period under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a Sunni Islamist who led the swift overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December, marking the end of 14 years of civil war.
While the declaration enshrines the central role of Islamic law and affirms freedom of opinion, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) argues that it fails to adequately protect the rights of Syria’s diverse communities.
Meanwhile, in Geneva, the United Nations’ special envoy for Syria urged the new authorities in Damascus to establish an inclusive transitional government. He also called for an independent investigation into recent sectarian violence that has resulted in hundreds of deaths.
“Syria now stands at a pivotal moment,” U.N. Envoy Geir Pedersen stated in a message read by a spokesperson, coinciding with the 14th anniversary of the uprising against Assad that escalated into full-scale war.
Throughout the conflict, Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria established an autonomous governance system after years of political and cultural marginalization under the Assad family. They now fear that the new leadership in Damascus will strip them of their hard-won rights, including Kurdish-language education in schools and gender-inclusive political representation.
In a written statement on Friday, the SDC “completely rejected” Sharaa’s constitutional declaration, arguing that it “reproduced authoritarianism in a new form” and granted excessive, unchecked powers to the executive branch. The council called for the document to be revised to ensure a fair distribution of authority and to embrace a decentralized governance system.
“Any constitutional declaration must be the result of genuine national consensus, not a project imposed by one party,” the SDC stated.
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The SDC serves as the political wing of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which recently signed an agreement with the Damascus government to integrate into Syria’s new state institutions. Under this accord, key border crossings, oil fields, and an airport will be transferred to government control. The agreement is set to be implemented by the end of the year; however, it remains unclear how the SDF’s military forces will be incorporated into Syria’s defense ministry.
U.N. envoy Pedersen expressed hope that Sharaa’s constitutional declaration would help restore the rule of law and facilitate an orderly transition.
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Sharaa has pledged to lead Syria with inclusivity but is facing the immediate challenge of addressing the aftermath of sectarian violence in the coastal region, which has been attributed to fighters aligned with his government. Pedersen reiterated his call for an independent inquiry into the “appalling violence.”
“In this regard, a climate of distrust and fear could endanger the entire transition,” he warned.
