Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates: Statement welcoming the UN General Assembly’s adoption of December 19 as the International Day to Honor Women Searching for the Missing

Damascus, 31 August 2026 – The Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the unanimous adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the draft resolution it submitted designating l9 December as the International Day to Honour Women Searchers of the Disappeared. The initiative recognises the struggle of women who have taken on the responsibility of searching for their missing loved ones and remained steadfast in their right to know the truth, seek justice, and ensure non-recurrence.

The draft resolution is the result of a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and the National Authority for the Missing. It draws on the profound human experience of thousands of Syrian families and on the direct contributions of families of the missing during consultations conducted by the Ministry and the Authority. It also recognises the exceptional role played by Syrian women in searching for the missing, preserving the memory of their loved ones, and bringing their families' voices to international forums.

The Syrian Arab Republic affirms that this initiative, whose core principles include the right to know the truth, seek justice, and ensure the non-recurrence of enforced disappearance, reflects its commitment to turning the suffering of Syrians into an impetus for humanitarian and diplomatic action at the international level, and to contributing effectively to issues of human dignity and human rights. In doing so, the initiative extends beyond the national context to women searching for the missing around the world.

The Syrian Arab Republic also affirms that this step reflects Syria's return to an active and proactive role in international forums after decades of the former regime's policies. It marks an important milestone in the course of Syria's new diplomacy, which is based on initiative, openness, cooperation, building international consensus, and using Syria's presence in international organisations to advance shared humanitarian causes.