Establishment and Development of The International Organization for Development and Peace:
The International Organization for Development and Peace is a human rights entity that commenced its work in 2014 after being licensed in France, and later in 2020 in Turkey and the liberated northern regions of Syria.
The organization focuses on legal and rights-based efforts to reclaim rights, defend refugees, and amplify their voices to decision-makers. Its flagship initiative was the founding of the Displaced Voices Forum, which it co-established with several Syrian human rights organizations to defend the rights of displaced individuals worldwide.
Vision and Political Objectives of the Organization:
The International Organization for Development and Peace works towards achieving several goals through collaborative efforts with its partners in the Syrian Democratic Alliance. These objectives include:
- Elevating human rights issues to a level that honors the sacrifices of Syrians and reinforces the peaceful principles of the Syrian revolution.
- Prioritizing the issue of detainees in the prisons of the Syrian regime, making it a fundamental demand that must be addressed before any political solution can be realized.
- Calling on the international community to support efforts in expanding legal prosecutions against those responsible for crimes against humanity throughout Syria.
- Highlighting the Syrian regime’s transformation of the state into a rogue actor, using illegal practices to finance militias, thus posing a significant threat to Syrians, neighboring countries, and the international community.
- Advocating for the classification of the Syrian regime as a failed state, one that poses a danger to international peace and security.
The organization’s vision is that achieving a stable society must be rooted in justice, and justice can only be realized through accountability and prosecution.
Role of the International Organization for Development and Peace within the Syrian Democratic Alliance:
The organization is committed to working with its partners in the Syrian Democratic Alliance to achieve goals that ensure the political process is aligned with the human rights framework, including the prosecution of those responsible for crimes against humanity—crimes that do not expire with time and cannot be negotiated or forgiven by any entity.
Programs and Key Initiatives:
One of the main programs pursued by the organization is the documentation of environmental violations, in collaboration with the French Green Party. This initiative will train legal and governmental personnel to document environmental violations, with the aim of preparing a legal dossier to be submitted to international courts, as these violations constitute both war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Challenges and Achievements of the International Organization for Development and Peace:
The organization faces significant logistical and security challenges for its team and strives to maintain independent funding through donations and member contributions.
Despite these obstacles, the organization has successfully convinced the Western world that Syria is not yet safe, and that any refugee return must be voluntary, in a secure environment, and with dignity—conditions that have yet to be met across Syria. The organization remains committed to working with political movements, both within and outside the alliance, to build a modern state founded on the principles of law, justice, citizenship, rights, and duties, while holding all violators of Syrian human rights accountable across the nation.