WASHINGTON DC - The United Nations on Wednesday called on Syria's authorities to promote inclusivity and ensure the representation of all minority groups in the country's future after the controversial Syrian National Dialogue Conference was held without Kurdish participation. Hundreds of Syrians gathered in Damascus on Tuesday to participate in the National Dialogue Conference, which was pledged by Syria’s interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in late January as a prelude to holding free and fair elections, establishing an inclusive government, and drafting a new constitution. “All of us continue to stress the need for diplomatic solutions to the issues in the Northeast and the importance of compromise for all concerned and the importance of inclusivity in designing the future of Syria,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told Rudaw in New York. “Everyone who is a Syrian should feel included, regardless of their ethnicity or their religion,” he stressed. The conference has been condemned as exclusionary, particularly by the Kurdish political forces in northeast Syria (Rojava). On Monday, the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) criticized the conference as “rushed,” lamenting the “lack of balanced representation” as a “violation of the principle of national partnership.” The Kurdish-led administration in Rojava has also condemned its exclusion. Amid concerns over Kurdish representation, Kurdish ruling and opposition parties are working to overcome their differences in order to present a united front in dealings with Damascus. In late January, ENKS, an umbrella group of Kurdish opposition, and Rojava’s ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) agreed to send a joint delegation to Damascus to discuss the future of Kurds in Syria.
