Damascus, 11 May – The International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria (IIIM‑Syria) convened its first in-country technical workshop in Syria on information management, marking a significant milestone in its engagement with Syrian national stakeholders and institutions, and its support for Syrian‑led justice and accountability efforts.
Held with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom, the workshop provided a platform for in-depth, practical discussions on the effective management of large volumes of information relevant to accountability and justice processes. Sessions focused on key aspects of information management, including identification, collection, preservation, processing, analysis, and secure handling of digital data. Particular attention was given to best practices for organizing and safeguarding information in a manner that supports future Syrian justice and accountability efforts.
The workshop brought together representatives from several Syrian ministries, alongside technical and information management experts. Participants included officials and designated technical focal points from relevant Syrian ministries, national commissions, and other entities with data, archives, and information management responsibilities, including the Ministries of Justice, Interior, and Foreign Affairs, the National Commission on Transitional Justice, the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP), Mnemonic, and Truth Guardians.
As IIIM’s first in-country technical engagement in Syria, the workshop reaffirmed the Mechanism’s readiness to support Syrian national institutions in strengthening their capacity to preserve and manage information and materials relevant to future justice processes. IIIM hopes this workshop will serve as the first in a series of sustained and in-depth engagements, including future trainings, and technical exchanges on priority issues essential to advancing accountability in Syria.
The IIIM expresses its gratitude to the Government of the United Kingdom for its sponsorship, and to the Syrian authorities and participating institutions for their cooperation and support in making this workshop possible, in furtherance of justice and accountability efforts in Syria.