The Syrian Future Movement, which emerged from the Syrian revolution of 2012 and seeks to build a modern, national state based on freedom, equal citizenship, social justice, and comprehensive political, economic, and social reform, welcomes the declaration issued by the National Commission for the Missing on February 18, 2026. This declaration includes the commencement of preparations for a procedural guide and a comprehensive map of organizations, initiatives, and victims’ associations active in the issue of the missing and forcibly disappeared.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms that the issue of the missing and forcibly disappeared represents one of the nation’s most profound and open wounds. Documented estimates from credible human rights organizations (such as the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and field media reports) range between 177,000 and 181,000 people forcibly disappeared between March 2011 and late 2025, including thousands of children (more than 4,500) and women (more than 8,900). Even broader estimates, exceeding 300,000, are considered when taking into account the periods preceding the Assad family’s rule since the 1970s.
The Syrian Future Movement views this initial organizational step (preparing the guide and map through a multilingual coordination survey) as a positive sign towards building a comprehensive national path to uncovering the truth. This path relies on coordinating efforts between the National Commission, civil society, and family networks, while ensuring the protection of personal data and adhering to standards of privacy and transparency.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for:
- Accelerating the establishment of a unified and secure national database for registering missing persons, prioritizing bereaved families and survivors.
- Strengthening international cooperation with relevant UN mechanisms (such as the Independent Commission for Missing Persons in Syria) to ensure access to records, mass graves, and evidence.
- Ensuring broad and transparent participation of victims’ associations and human rights organizations in formulating policies and procedures, reflecting the spirit of national partnership and reconciliation.
- Linking this process to comprehensive transitional justice efforts, including reparations, institutional reform, and prevention of recurrence, to achieve genuine justice for victims.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that revealing the fate of the missing and returning remains with dignity, while protecting the dignity of families, constitutes a sacred national principle and a fundamental condition for building the future of Syria on the foundations of citizenship, trust, and civil peace.
