Syria's Kurdish Rights Decree Faces Implementation Hurdles in Geneva

In Geneva, representatives of Syrian civil society have raised significant concerns regarding the practical application of a recent decree aimed at restoring the rights of Kurdish citizens. The intervention, delivered on the margins of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council, highlighted a growing gap between legislative promises and the reality faced by communities in the northeast of the country.

Bassam Al-Ahmad, co-founder of Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ), spoke as both an institutional representative and a personal witness to decades of statelessness. His testimony underscored that while the new legal framework acknowledges Kurdish identity, the mechanisms for enforcing these rights remain ambiguous and, in many cases, inaccessible to those most affected by past discrimination.

Context of the Recent Decree

According to STJ, Decree No. 13, issued in January 2026, was enacted against a backdrop of significant military and security instability. The decree coincided with documented human rights violations during military operations in the northeast and specific neighborhoods in Aleppo. Al-Ahmad noted that this volatile environment has led to divergent views within Kurdish communities regarding the timing and intent of the legislation.

The decree formally recognizes the cultural and linguistic identity of Syrian Kurds as part of the national identity. However, Al-Ahmad argued that this recognition lacks substantive value without effective guarantees on the ground. He emphasized that the decree should be viewed as a starting point rather than a final achievement, necessitating its integration into the broader transitional justice process and future constitutional frameworks.

Linguistic Recognition and Educational Barriers

While the decree designates Kurdish as a national language and allows for its teaching in schools, specific provisions remain problematic. The requirement that Kurds constitute a significant proportion of the population in a given area to qualify for instruction could inadvertently exclude many communities. Furthermore, the distinction between a national and an official language may hinder the use of Kurdish in official transactions and higher education.

Citizenship Registration Challenges

STJ reported that the decree’s promise to repeal exceptional laws from the 1962 census and grant citizenship to unregistered individuals has been hampered by procedural ambiguities. Many applicants have failed to secure registration due to a lack of clear guidelines for the relevant committees. In documented cases, individuals were able to register their own status but were denied the ability to register their children, or were refused entirely due to insufficient proof of residence.