The Council of Arab Justice Ministers opened its 41st session Wednesday at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo under the chairmanship of the Sudanese Justice Minister, with the participation of Syria’s delegation led by Justice Minister Mazhar al-Weis.
In his address before the council, convened at the invitation of the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Minister al-Weis stressed Syria’s high priority on reinforcing legal and judicial cooperation with Arab countries, describing it as “a cornerstone for protecting rights, consolidating stability, and confronting common challenges.”
Al-Weis said Syria “continues with determination and confidence its path toward internal peace, strengthening security, uniting its land and people, and combating terrorist organizations and armed groups,” adding that Syria has now regained its rightful place and natural role among its Arab brothers.
He highlighted Syria’s progress in the file of missing persons, saying:
“Syria takes pride in the national institutional work launched recently in this field, in cooperation with official bodies, civil society, and international organizations, to uncover the fate of the missing, achieve transitional justice and accountability, assess damages, and pursue comprehensive national reconciliation.”
The minister explained that independent national bodies were established for this purpose, operating under principles of transparency and respect for human dignity and rights.
Al-Weis also pointed to the government’s ongoing efforts to modernize Syria’s judicial system through capacity-building, infrastructure rehabilitation of courts, and the launch of advanced training programs for judges and prosecutors, alongside expanding the use of digital and judicial technologies.
He emphasized the importance of alternative dispute-resolution methods such as arbitration, mediation, and reconciliation, to reduce court burdens, stating these measures are part of a comprehensive vision aimed at delivering swift justice, upholding the rule of law, and safeguarding human rights.
Minister al-Weis thanked the Arab states for their principled stances and continued support for Syria, reaffirming his country’s full readiness to strengthen joint Arab legal and judicial cooperation to build a more efficient, fair, and humane Arab justice system.
The council’s current session discusses key items including implementation of Arab conventions on combating terrorism, the Arab Convention against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing, and the Arab Convention on Combating Cybercrimes.
It is also reviewing progress on the Arab Convention against Corruption, the draft Arab Convention on the Status of Refugees, and the Arab Convention on Personal Data Protection.
