Damascus, April 16, 2025 – Assistant Secretary-General Robert Petit, leading a delegation from the Independent International Impartial Mechanism (IIIM), concluded a series of high-level meetings during his second visit to Damascus, including a meeting with the Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shaibani and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic.
The meetings focused on advancing practical avenues for cooperation in support of accountability and transitional justice. Both parties underscored the importance of a Syrian-led process that is inclusive, effective and responsive to the needs of victims and affected communities.
ASG Petit welcomed the Minister’s expression of commitment to cooperation as part of broader transitional justice efforts.
“It was a constructive meeting, and I appreciated the Minister’s engagement with our mandate,” said ASG Petit. “Syria continues to face many challenges, and the IIIM stands ready to provide practical support on the ground that aligns with the needs of Syrians.”
In addition to meetings with officials, ASG Petit met with a number of Syrian civil society organisations and activists to hear directly from those working with victims and survivors advocating for justice. These exchanges reinforced the importance of a broad-based and inclusive approach to transitional justice, which provides space for the voices and experiences of Syria’s diverse communities.
This visit was the latest in regular engagements the IIIM has had with the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs since the fall of the regime in December 2024.
The IIIM remains committed to fulfilling its mandate to assist in the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes, to facilitating constructive dialogue and to contributing to efforts that advance justice and accountability for all Syrians.
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About the IIIM
The International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) is a United Nations organisation, established in 2016 by the UN General Assembly in a landmark vote. It is mandated to assist in the investigation and prosecution of individuals responsible for committing the most serious international crimes (including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide) in Syria since March 2011.
The IIIM works to collect and preserve evidence from multiple sources to support current and potential future accountability proceedings. A significant number of its sources and information providers are Syrian civil society actors.
The IIIM’s work can be used by jurisdictions with the legal authority to prosecute international crimes, thereby supporting accountability for atrocities committed during the Syrian conflict.
It shares information, evidence and analytical products either in response to requests for assistance or proactively with competent jurisdictions.
It integrates a victim survivor centred approach and proactive strategies on gender and children/youth throughout its work, holding regular consultations and engagements with Syrian civil society and victim/survivor communities.
It is not a court or tribunal; it cannot issue indictments or conduct trials and does not have prosecutorial powers.
The IIIM is:
- Independent: Works without external instructions or influences. It does not share details of the justice processes it supports publicly except as authorised by competent jurisdictions.
- Impartial: Works to cover all international crimes committed by all parties in the conflict, no matter the affiliation, without bias.
- Rigorous: Applies international criminal law methodologies throughout all tracks of its work.
Since the start of its operations the IIIM maintained its efforts to initiate cooperation from the Syrian Arab Republic, in line with its commitment to impartial and inclusive justice. Its calls went unanswered until December 2024, when it was invited to access Syria for the first time. 48 hours later the IIIM Head led a small delegation to Damascus coincidentally on the same day as the Mechanism was established in 2016.
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