Framework agreement signed by His Excellency President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and His Excellency President Mazloum Abdi

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Framework agreement signed by His Excellency President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and His Excellency President Mazloum Abdi
Date: 10 Mar 2025
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Syrian Conflicts (1948 - ) (1976 - 2005) (2011 - )
The agreements relate to three different conflict contexts. Israel-Syria and Syria-Lebanon. The Syrian-Israeli conflict was a key factor for the Syrian intervention during the Lebanese Civil War, with Syrian-backed Palestinian Liberation Army units intervened in 1976 against the Palestinian/Leftist militias. Following a massacre at Tel al-Zaatar that year, Syria was forced to accept a ceasefire at a meeting of the Arab League. However, the Arab League also mandated an Arab Deterrence Force, consisting of mostly Syrian soldiers with token contributions from other Arab League states, thus further legitimizing the Syrian presence in Lebanon. During a second bout of fighting that began in 1989, caused by the formation of rival Lebanese regimes in East and West Beirut, the Syrian-backed regime won and in 1991 the ‘Treaty of Brotherhood, Cooperation and Coordination’ was signed to legalize the Syrian occupation as a means to ensure the security of Syria. Syrian forces were forced to withdraw in 2005 following possible involvement in the assassination of Lebanon’s President Hariri.

Syria-internal. In 2011, domestic upheaval following a wave of protests across the Arab World soon led to violent repression of protestors by Syrian government troops. The violence progressed steadily and by July 2011 the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was formed consisting of defected military units and new recruits. The FSA and rebel umbrella group known as the Syrian National Council represented the first attempt at coordinating rebel factions in late 2011. However, a steady influx of foreign fighters and increased sectarianism radicalised opposition groups, which relied on foreign funding. The nature of the conflict changed drastically in late 2013 as infighting among the opposition groups increased. One of the more significant developments was the split between the al-Qaeda outfits the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS), and Jabhat al-Nusra in early 2014 in addition to the intensified targeting of other rebel factions by ISIS fighters in particular, including the Kurdish Peshmerga, the FSA and other jihadist outfits. Since the summer of 2014, the conflict was further internationalized when ISIS announced the formation of an Islamic state eroding the state line between Iraq and Syria and also in mid-2015 when Russian forces intervened on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad government in Damascus.
Stage: Framework/substantive - partial
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Syrian peace process
Parties: Primary Signatories:

His Excellency President Ahmad Al-Sharaa
His Excellency President Mazloum Abdi
Third parties: -
Description: This agreement establishes a framework for integrating Kurdish-administered areas of eastern Syria into the Syrian state following the fall of the Assad regime. The accord guarantees constitutional rights for the Kurdish community while providing for the cessation of hostilities and the integration of all civil and military institutions in eastern Syria, including strategic assets like airports, seaports, and oil and gas fields under Syrian state administration. The agreement also addresses refugee returns, security cooperation against remaining Assad regime elements, explicitly rejects partition, and sets an implementation deadline of the end of 2025.

Agreement document: SY_250210_Framework agreement signed by His Excellency President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and His Excellency President Mazloum Abdi_EN (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): SY_250210_Framework agreement signed by His Excellency President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and His Excellency President Mazloum Abdi (opens in new tab)| Download PDF
Source of document: https://x.com/Lavader_/status/1899168238413795776

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: Groups→Racial/ethnic/national group→Substantive
Article 1
Guaranteeing the rights of all Syrians in representation and participation in the political process, and ensuring all state institutions are built on competence, regardless of their religious and ethnic backgrounds.
Article 2
The Kurdish community is an authentic component of Syrian society, and the Syrian state guarantees its rights as citizens and all their constitutional rights.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: Groups→Refugees/displaced persons→Substantive
Article 5
Guaranteeing the return of all Syrian refugees to their homeland and ensuring their dignity and security from the Syrian state.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): Article 7
Rejecting calls for partition and inflammatory rhetoric, and attempts to incite discord among all components of Syrian society.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): Governance→Political institutions (new or reformed)→General references
Article 4
Integrating all civil and military institutions in eastern Syria under the administration of the Syrian state, including airports, seaports, and oil and gas fields.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: Article 1
Guaranteeing the rights of all Syrians in representation and participation in the political process, and ensuring all state institutions are built on competence, regardless of their religious and ethnic backgrounds.
...
Article 4
Integrating all civil and military institutions in eastern Syria under the administration of the Syrian state, including airports, seaports, and oil and gas fields.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: Human rights and equality→Civil and political rights→Equality
Article 1
Guaranteeing the rights of all Syrians in representation and participation in the political process, and ensuring all state institutions are built on competence, regardless of their religious and ethnic backgrounds.
Article 2
The Kurdish community is an authentic component of Syrian society, and the Syrian state guarantees its rights as citizens and all their constitutional rights.
Human rights and equality→Civil and political rights→Vote and take part
Article 1
Guaranteeing the rights of all Syrians in representation and participation in the political process, and ensuring all state institutions are built on competence, regardless of their religious and ethnic backgrounds.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: Rights related issues→Citizenship→Citizen, general
Article 2
The Kurdish community is an authentic component of Syrian society, and the Syrian state guarantees its rights as citizens and all their constitutional rights.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: Rights related issues→Media and communication→Governance of media
Article 7
Rejecting calls for partition and inflammatory rhetoric, and attempts to incite discord among all components of Syrian society.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: Article 4
Integrating all civil and military institutions in eastern Syria under the administration of the Syrian state, including airports, seaports, and oil and gas fields.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Article 5
Guaranteeing the return of all Syrian refugees to their homeland and ensuring their dignity and security from the Syrian state.
Article 6
Supporting the Syrian state in its fight against the remnants of Assad (the Bashar al-Assad regime) and all threats that endanger its security and unity.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→General commitments
Article 3
Ceasing fire and launching dialogue on all Syrian territories.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: Article 4
Integrating all civil and military institutions in eastern Syria under the administration of the Syrian state, including airports, seaports, and oil and gas fields.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Article 6
Supporting the Syrian state in its fight against the remnants of Assad (the Bashar al-Assad regime) and all threats that endanger its security and unity.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.

Based on a meeting between His Excellency President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and His Excellency President Mazloum Abdi on Monday,

March 10, 2025, the following was agreed upon:

Article 1

Guaranteeing the rights of all Syrians in representation and participation in the political process, and ensuring all state institutions are built on competence, regardless of their religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Article 2

The Kurdish community is an authentic component of Syrian society, and the Syrian state guarantees its rights as citizens and all their constitutional rights.

Article 3

Ceasing fire and launching dialogue on all Syrian territories.

Article 4

Integrating all civil and military institutions in eastern Syria under the administration of the Syrian state, including airports, seaports, and oil and gas fields.

Article 5

Guaranteeing the return of all Syrian refugees to their homeland and ensuring their dignity and security from the Syrian state.

Article 6

Supporting the Syrian state in its fight against the remnants of Assad (the Bashar al-Assad regime) and all threats that endanger its security and unity.

Article 7

Rejecting calls for partition and inflammatory rhetoric, and attempts to incite discord among all components of Syrian society.

Article 8

Working and striving for executive committees to implement the agreement in a manner that does not exceed the end of the current year.

Signatures:

Mazloum Abdi | Ahmad Al-Sharaa [Signature] | [Signature]