Damascus, Dec. 13, (SANA) The “One Year Since Liberation: Prospects and Challenges” Conference kicked off Saturday in Damascus, with the participation of Minister of Information Hamza al-Mustafa and a number of political and economic researchers, at Al-Sham Hotel.
In his opening remarks, minister al-Mustafa stressed that the media constitutes one of the most critical pillars for the success of the country’s political transition, noting that media work without in-depth research would remain incomplete. He highlighted the importance of such conferences organized by the Ministry in supporting informed and responsible media performance.
Al-Mustafa underscored the need for media to focus on consolidating a unifying national identity and citizenship, pointing to the expanded margin of freedom gained through the revolution and the role of new media platforms in representing diverse voices, including opposition perspectives.
He noted that the Ministry has been working to establish a successful media model based on revising legislation that enabled the establishment of hundreds of media institutions, countering incitement, sectarian rhetoric and hate speech, bridging information gaps, adopting a professional code of ethics, and restructuring media institutions on objective and professional foundations.
Al-Mustafa described media in transitional phases as a low-cost yet influential investment compared to military action, adding that while it attracts various political actors, it can also become obstructive if subjected to political domination. Therefore, he said, media cannot operate without regulatory bodies. The Ministry, he added, has sought to ensure representation of all voices, while transforming activists and media figures who emerged during the revolution into professionals capable of producing impactful media content.
He announced the formation of an “Advisory Council” to monitor media performance and regulate relations between the Ministry and media institutions, enhancing transparency and reinforcing professionalism. He also affirmed that the Ministry is working on developing media legislation to meet current challenges in building the new Syrian state.
The conference’s political session, titled “Political Transition Toward a New Syria: Opportunities and Challenges of the Transitional Phase,” featured contributions from Obeida Ghadban, strategic researcher at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates; Radwan Ziadeh, senior researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (Washington); and Lina Khatib, associate fellow at Chatham House.
Participants discussed the post-regime phase and Syria’s entry into a pivotal period of political transformation, as well as the complex tasks facing the new government, including establishing state structures, drafting a new constitution and building inclusive political institutions representing Syrian society.
In statements to SANA, Ghadban said the conference aims to address political transition from an academic perspective, bringing together viewpoints of researchers close to developments inside Syria and the government, alongside Western-based scholars, to assess achievements, challenges and future prospects.
Ziadeh described the conference as the first of its kind to examine political transition one year after the liberation of Syria, highlighting internal and regional challenges, foremost among them safeguarding Syria’s unity as a state and a nation.
Khatib noted that the opportunities and challenges of political transition extend beyond Syria to the wider Middle East and the international community, which she said bears a major responsibility in supporting Syria at this stage. She also pointed to the negative role played by certain countries in Syria’s political transition.
The two-day conference will also address economic dimensions toward a new Syria, issues of identity and society, and the preservation of the country’s collective memory.
A/Dh
