Dustin Hoffman, Senior Parliamentary Assistant to Martin Sonneborn MEP & Sibylle Berg MEP, shares his reflections on the delegation.
"I am sincerely grateful that I had the chance to join the parliamentary fact-finding mission to Iraqi Kurdistan and Rojava, organised by the Centre for Kurdish Progress and led by Ibrahim Dogus.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, we had the opportunity to engage with stakeholders in the highest decision-making positions. For example, our discussions with the former president, the prime minister and the foreign minister were highly insightful and constructive. We were impressed by what the administration has achieved in terms of infrastructure and security. However, I also acknowledge the many challenges the region is facing: The dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad seems to be constructive but challenging, Questions regarding the exploration of natural resources, energy transport and budget, including the salaries of public servants, have to be addressed with urgency to ensure the region’s steady progress. On my part, we will make sure that we keep what we have learned in mind for any upcoming debates and decisions.
Additionally, I want to point out that Erbil’s cultural heritage and history are impressive. If the progress continues, I would be surprised if the city does not become a major tourist destination in the upcoming years.
In Rojava, Syria, we also had the chance to engage in several debates with relevant stakeholders. It is truly inspiring to see how the people there have built an administration based on freedom, human rights, and equality. Despite the dire situation after fourteen years of devastating civil war, including ISIS‘s brutal assaults on peaceful people, there is a remarkable sense of determination and mutual understanding that the future must be free and democratic.
This was made clear during our meetings with the local and regional authorities, IDPs, representatives of several ethnic and religious groups, women's rights activists and the SDF leadership. The first observation is that everyone was happy with Bashar al-Assad's unexpectedly quick departure. However, there are legitimate concerns regarding the new authorities in Damascus because the leadership comes from an Islamist background. I welcome that all stakeholders are ready and willing to engage in a constructive dialogue with Damascus to ensure that the rights of all ethnic groups will be respected in the future. External actors must support this dialogue as much as possible to prevent any backslide regarding human rights and equality. Several actors raised that the international sanctions against Syria should only be lifted after the new leadership in Damascus agrees to respect the rights of all groups in Northeast Syria and relevant security guarantees are in place.
An important observation is that women are also represented in all decision-making positions. External actors will have to ensure that this status quo is maintained in light of any agreements made with the authorities in Damascus. The new constitution, which is currently being drafted, must respect the interests and rights of minorities and all ethnic and religious groups. Foreign legal scholars and governments should be ready to assist the relevant parties if the process needs any mediation, providing expertise and guidance to ensure the constitution is in line with international standards.
Another crucial factor is the urgent need for external aid. After fourteen years of civil war, the infrastructure, including roads, potable water, waste disposal, and energy, was almost entirely destroyed. People rely on decentralised generators, which run on low-quality fuel, leading to severe air pollution. The level of ground and air pollution significantly affects people's life expectancy.
To address these pressing issues, foreign assistance and investment are urgently needed. Several people noted that better conditions are needed to ensure the safe return of thousands of refugees who fled the region. Their return is required to rebuild the area, but the conditions for their return have not yet been set.
Also, the regional administration runs several detention facilities that house thousands of ISIS fighters. The operation of these facilities heavily depends on foreign financing, so the operation of these facilities must be ensured for the foreseeable future. Since a relevant number of foreign citizens are detained there, third states should assist the regional authorities in bringing them to justice. A massive threat to the region remains the ongoing military assault from Turkish-backed militias as well as direct air attacks conducted by Turkey. These attacks not only target important points of infrastructure, which constantly set progress in the region back, but also render the living conditions for the civilian populations even more difficult, leading to a humanitarian crisis.
Some actors also noted that Israel’s military attacks and further occupation of Syrian territory contribute to the destabilisation of the country. All foreign actors need to use diplomatic channels to ensure that neighbouring countries comply with their international law obligations and refrain from using illegal military force. We also observed that Russia keeps a military presence in the region without any specific aim.
In general, I am very grateful to our organisers, protocol contacts, interpreters, drivers, hosts, and security detail for ensuring we had this unique opportunity to get direct insights from some of the most relevant stakeholders in the region. I sincerely hope that all delegation members will put the newly acquired knowledge to the best possible use to ensure Northeast Syria and the rest of the country thrive in freedom and prosperity.
Disclaimer: The opinions and observations are expressed in the author’s private capacity and do not necessarily represent the European Parliament’s position."