Majd Chourbaji before the Security Council: We have been liberated from tyranny, and the test of transition demands comprehensive justice and national partnership
New York – Syrian businesswoman and Executive Director of the Bassamat organization, Majd Chourbaji, delivered an impactful speech before the United Nations Security Council during its special session on Syria, upon invitation by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the UN, and through the nomination and organization of the Syrian Forum. In it, she affirmed that the Syrians have turned the page on tyranny but today face the most difficult challenge: ensuring a comprehensive political transition that enshrines justice and honors sacrifices.
Chourbaji began her speech by thanking the organizers and offering condolences for the lives of civilians lost in the tragic events of this year, stressing that the pain is one, and that transparent and comprehensive transitional justice is the only way to build mutual trust among Syrians and ensure the tragedy is not repeated.
She affirmed that the joy of liberation from the tyrannical regime is matched by anxiety about a future that has not yet been decided, adding: “Any failure at this stage could squander the immense sacrifices made by our people, and therefore our commitment as Syrians is firm and clear: to make the political transition a success and to build a just, democratic state based on citizenship rights without discrimination, a state with no return to tyranny.”
In her personal testimony, Chourbaji spoke of the seven months she spent in prison, during which she was tortured, but she led a hunger strike that ended with the release of 83 female detainees, affirming that the experience taught her that a person’s strength is measured by resilience and adherence to justice, not revenge. She also emphasized that her hometown of Daraya was a model of peacefulness and the rejection of violence and sectarianism since the beginning of the revolution.
Chourbaji moved on to discuss humanitarian and economic challenges, noting that more than 16.5 million Syrians are in need of urgent assistance, half the population suffers from food insecurity, while millions of refugees lack the conditions for a safe and dignified return, in addition to the continued suffering of Syrians from discrimination and poor treatment at border crossings, airports, and embassies.
She explained that the legacy of corruption and cronyism left by the previous regime can only be overcome through reconstruction based on a new value system of transparency and accountability, not just on bricks and mortar.
In her message to the United Nations, Chourbaji called on the Security Council members to protect Syria’s stability and prevent any attempts to undermine it, and to intensify support for civil society efforts and a genuinely Syrian-led political transition, affirming that the UN Charter begins with “We the peoples” not “We the governments.”
She also directed a series of demands to the Syrian government, most notably: launching a comprehensive political transition process that guarantees the equal participation of women and all components, reforming government and civil institutions, enhancing women’s economic role through training, credit, and business incubators, ensuring international investment and support are coordinated to serve sustainable development, and exercising complete transparency in communication with citizens.
She stressed that education must be the highest national priority because it is “the true bulwark against the return of any sectarian conflict or future violence, and it is the best guarantee for our children’s future.”
She concluded her speech by saying: “We have been liberated from tyranny, and this is our greatest joy, but the success of the transition is our biggest bet. Today we are at a pivotal historical moment; let us share the responsibility and give Syrians the chance to live in dignity, not merely to survive, but to rise and build a homeland they deserve.”
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