The Syrian Future Movement is following with great interest and concern the developments related to the protection of Syrian cultural heritage, which represents the nation’s memory and identity. We have followed the news of the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums and the “Guardians of Truth” Foundation, an offshoot of the “White Helmets” organization. This agreement aims to enhance the protection of Syrian cultural heritage through restoration work, modernization of protection systems, the establishment of a central database, and combating illegal excavation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement bases its assessment of this step on a careful reading of the scale of the heritage catastrophe that has befallen Syria, which requires urgent and decisive national action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since the outbreak of the popular uprising, six Syrian sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List have suffered severe damage and remain threatened with the loss of their historical and human value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is estimated that tens of thousands of artifacts have been looted, and more than 40,000 pieces have been stolen from museums and archaeological sites during the years of war. Illegal excavations have been documented at dozens of archaeological sites in Idlib province alone, and the ancient city of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has suffered extensive damage to many of its historical landmarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement appreciates any serious effort aimed at protecting Syrian cultural heritage and considers this agreement a first step in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, out of a sense of national responsibility, the Syrian Future Movement draws attention to the fact that the “Guardians of Truth” Foundation was only launched on April 13, 2026, less than ten days before the signing of this agreement. This short timeframe raises legitimate questions about the Foundation’s readiness and its operational and logistical capabilities to undertake tasks of this scale and sensitivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recognizing that the transitional phase requires the broad participation of national civil society’s expertise and experience in building the new state, and acknowledging successful models for integrating civil society organizations into the institutions of the new Syrian state, the Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that success in this endeavor necessitates overcoming several objective challenges. Foremost among these is the need for full disclosure of funding sources and operational mechanisms, ensuring transparency in the implementation of agreed-upon projects, and establishing periodic and independent evaluation mechanisms for the organization’s achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement calls for the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Syrian Future Movement affirms its support for any genuine national effort to protect Syrian cultural heritage and believes that the agreement with the Guardians of Truth presents a real opportunity, but also carries risks that necessitate vigilance and monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Syrian Future Movement will continue to closely monitor the implementation of this agreement and will be a voice for transparency and accountability on this vital issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its commitment to working towards protecting the cultural and civilizational heritage of the Syrian people and expresses its readiness to cooperate with all national and international parties to achieve this noble goal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A new agreement between ‘Antiquities and Museums’ and ‘Guardians of Truth’ to enhance the protection of Syrian cultural heritage and restore damaged sites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":63626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4674],"tags":[4706],"class_list":["post-63628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-scientific-office-en","tag-press-release"],"yoast_head":"\n\n