Statement by H.E. Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, Permanent Representative of Latvia to the UN, at the UN Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting “Transitional Justice and Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic”
New York, 21 July 2026
Thank you, Madam Chair,
I thank Denmark, Colombia, Luxembourg and Syria for organising today’s meeting. I also thank the briefers for providing their insights about hundreds of thousands missing persons in Syria, as well as for their efforts in the quest to resolve this dark chapter of the Syrian past.
After decades of brutal authoritarian rule, systematic repression, persecution and violent conflict, a comprehensive transitional justice process aimed at establishing the fate and whereabouts of the forcibly disappeared and missing persons lies at the heart of Syria’s national reconciliation. Syrians, whether individually or society as a whole, have the right to know the truth about their loved ones who, as it is commonly said in Syria, “went behind the sun”[1] and never returned.
We welcome that in a relatively short time after the fall of the Assad regime, Syria’s transitional government has taken important steps towards implementing transitional justice. These include the establishment of the National Commission for Missing Persons and the National Commission for Transitional Justice, it is a privilege to hear heads of both commissions briefing us today. We trust that Syria’s government and institutions will preserve the momentum and ensure that missing persons issue remains a priority throughout Syria’s transition.
At a time when no action other than advocacy, documentation and recording of testimonies was possible, families and Syrian civil society undertook invaluable work. I would like to pay tribute to the brave Syrian women – mothers, wives, sisters and daughters, who have been the driving force behind many truth-seeking and accountability mechanisms, and their voices and experiences should be prioritised. Keeping victims, affected families, and civil society at the core of all efforts is key to ensuring that process is credible and inclusive.
Facilitating access to archives and former regime detention sites, as well as inspections of mass graves, once ready, is critical for the identification of victims and should be ensured to advance the process. In the near future, substantial legislative work, including the timely adoption of a comprehensive Law on the Missing, lies ahead of the newly established People’s Assembly.
We welcome the ongoing work and the expertise provided by the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP), the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism on Syria (IIIM), the Independent International Commission of Inquiry and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The international community, also through its political, legal and financial support, should remain a committed partner to Syrian‑led process for as long as necessary.
To ensure transparent, coordinated and inclusive efforts to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, it is important for the Syrian transitional government and the relevant national bodies to continue their constructive engagement with international mechanisms and organisations and further facilitate their work on the ground, and today’s conversation is a promising sign.
In conclusion, recognising the suffering of victims and providing answers to their families, rebuilding the rule of law and restoring confidence in public institutions are essential steps towards healing the painful scars of the past and contributing to a lasting peace in Syria.
I thank you.
[1] A phrase used in Syrian Arabic to refer to those who were forcibly disappeared by the former regime, vanishing without a trace.