The Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic, also known as the Interim Constitution of Syria, is the current provisional constitution of Syria, approved by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. It establishes the constitutional framework for a five-year transitional period.
Following the fall of the Assad regime, Hassan Abdul Ghani, spokesman for the Military Operations Command, announced the repeal of the 2012 Syrian Constitution. Al-Sharaa subsequently stated that he would issue a "constitutional declaration" to serve as a legal framework until a new constitution was adopted. On 2 March 2025, al-Sharaa formed a committee to draft the constitutional declaration for the country's transitional period. He signed the declaration on 13 March, and it was set to remain in effect for five years. The declaration states that it is based on the values, cultural heritage, and diversity of Syrian society, as well as national and humanitarian principles. It also draws on previous Syrian constitutions, particularly the Syrian Constitution of 1950, and establishes a framework for governance during the transitional period.
Under the declaration, legislative power is vested in the People's Assembly, executive power is exercised by the government under the leadership of the president, and judicial power is vested in an independent judiciary, with judges subject to the law. The declaration establishes a presidential system in which executive authority is exercised by the president. The declaration may be amended with the approval of two-thirds of the People's Assembly following a proposal by the President of Syria.
Background The 2024 Syrian opposition offensives, codenamed "Deterrence of Aggression," were led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and supported by allied Turkish-backed groups in the Syrian National Army. These offensives resulted in the rapid fall of Bashar al-Assad's government, ending five decades of rule by the Assad family that began when Hafez al-Assad assumed power in 1971 under the Ba'ath Party following a coup d'état. As a rebel coalition moved closer to Damascus, reports indicated that Bashar al-Assad had fled the capital by plane to Russia, where he joined his exiled family and was granted political asylum by the Russian government. After his departure, opposition forces announced their victory on state television. At the same time, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed his resignation and departure from Syria.
On 29 December 2024, Syria TV reported that preparations were underway for a National Conference of 1,200 representatives for which the date has not been decided yet. Syria TV said that during the National Conference, the constitutional drafting committee would be announced and that during the conference, the People's Assembly of Syria and all armed factions including HTS would be dissolved, leading to the restructuring of a new national army. Later that day, Syria's then-de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that elections could take up to 4 years to be organized, with the need to conduct a census beforehand.
Constitutional changes After the regime change, al-Sharaa was formally appointed president of Syria by the Syrian General Command for the transitional period during the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference in Damascus on 29 January 2025. Before this, he had served as the de facto leader following the fall of the Assad regime. In his first address as president on 31 January 2025, al-Sharaa stated that he would issue a "constitutional declaration" to serve as a "legal reference" until a new constitution was established.
After a meeting of the armed groups that took part in the offensive against the Assad regime, these groups simultaneously agreed to abolish the 2012 constitution of Ba'athist Syria and initiate the drafting of a replacement document. While the Assad regime's fall was celebrated by many Syrians, the subsequent establishment of Islamist leadership generated uncertainty among the country's religious minorities, with many communities expressing reluctance to accept Damascus's authority in their regions. During the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference, Hassan Abdul Ghani, spokesman for the Military Operations Command, announced the repeal of the 2012 constitution.
On 12 February 2025, the caretaker government announced the formation of a preparatory committee for the then-upcoming Syrian National Dialogue Conference, comprising seven members: Hassan al-Daghim, Maher Alloush, Mohammed Mastet, Youssef al-Hijr, Mustafa al-Moussa, Hind Kabawat, and Huda Atassi. The conference faced criticism for inadequate representation of Syria's diverse communities and civic organizations.
Legal Committee for Drafting the Constitutional Declaration
On 2 March 2025, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced the establishment of a committee tasked with drafting a new constitutional declaration to guide the country's transition. The next day, the Legal Committee for Drafting the Constitutional Declaration stated that it was responsible for writing the constitutional declaration after studying the key principles and articles to be included, which serve the country’s interests and meet the requirements of the transitional period. The committee stated that once the drafting process was completed, the proposal would be submitted to the President of Syria.
According to the Constitutional Drafting Committee, the declaration consists of a preamble and four sections covering general provisions, rights and freedoms, the structure of government, and final provisions. The drafting committee noted that executive power would be vested in the president, who would be assisted by ministers. It stated that keeping executive power exclusively in the hands of the president during the transitional period was considered appropriate to enable swift action in addressing challenges and difficulties. The committee further clarified that no authority would have the power to dismiss or remove another, and that the legislature would not have the authority to question the president. Instead, the president would be subject to accountability before a constitutional court, whose judges the president would have the authority to appoint.
In July 2026, two members of the Constitutional Declaration Drafting Committee, Ismail al-Khalfan and Rayan Kahilan, were appointed by al-Sharaa to the Supreme Constitutional Court, while Abdul Hamid al-Awak, another member of the Drafting Committee, was elected Speaker of the People's Assembly during the assembly's inaugural session.
Official name of Syria The Drafting Committee clarified that it had not altered any of the general provisions, including the country's official name, which remains the "Syrian Arab Republic." The committee stated that it chose to retain the name because it had been used since the establishment of the state and because its mandate did not permit changes to fundamental provisions. According to SyriacPress, the decision to retain the name came amid calls from some Kurdish, Syriac, Assyrian, Aramean, and other non-Arab communities to rename the country the "Syrian Republic," citing the country's ethnic and linguistic diversity.
Rudaw Media Network reported that the drafting committee said the country would retain its official name, the "Syrian Arab Republic", as established in the previous 1920 constitution.
Ratification of the Constitutional Declaration On 13 March 2025, President al-Sharaa ratified the Constitutional Declaration, which was set to remain in effect for five years. During the signing ceremony, al-Sharaa stated, "We hope this marks a new history for Syria, where injustice is replaced with justice, ignorance with knowledge, and suffering with mercy." At a press conference, the Drafting Committee tasked with preparing the Constitutional Declaration stated that it had completed the required work from the outset of its formation and had based the declaration on the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference.
Overview The Constitutional Declaration states that it is based on the values, cultural heritage, and diversity of Syrian society, as well as established national and humanitarian principles. It also draws on previous Syrian constitutions, particularly the Syrian Constitution of 1950, and seeks to establish a framework for constitutional governance.
Under the Constitutional Declaration, the powers of the three branches of government are distributed during the transitional period as follows: legislative power is vested in the People's Assembly; executive power is exercised by the government under the leadership of the president; and judicial power is vested in an independent judiciary, with judges subject only to the law. The Constitutional Declaration may be amended with the approval of two-thirds of the People's Assembly upon a proposal by the President of Syria, while existing legislation remains in force unless amended or repealed; the transitional period lasts for five calendar years from the date the declaration enters into force and ends with the adoption of a permanent constitution and the holding of elections in accordance with it.
States According to the Constitutional Declaration, Syria is an independent and fully sovereign state and an indivisible geographical and political unit. Arabic is the official language, and Damascus is the capital. The state is committed to preserving Syria's territorial unity and criminalizing calls for division, secession, foreign intervention, or external support. It also seeks to promote social coexistence and stability, preserve civil peace, prevent sectarianism and incitement to violence, and protect the cultural and linguistic rights of all Syrians. The declaration further provides for combating corruption and violent extremism while protecting rights and freedoms. It calls for cooperation with relevant states, entities, and international organizations to support Syria's reconstruction and facilitate the voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons.
The national economy is directed toward social justice, economic development, increased production, and improving living standards. It is based on free and fair competition and the prevention of monopolies, while the state promotes investment and provides legal protections for investors. The declaration states that the glorification of the former Assad regime and its symbols, as well as the denial, praise, justification, or minimization of its crimes, are criminal offenses punishable by law.
Syrian anthem, emblem, and flag
The Constitutional Declaration states in Article 5 that the national anthem and emblem shall be determined by law. Although Syria currently uses "Fī Sabīli al-Majd" ("In Pursuit of Glory") by poet Omar Abu Risha, it is used as a temporary national anthem until a permanent decision is made regarding the official anthem.
The short-lived emblem featured a new escutcheon based on the flag of Syria used upon gaining independence from France in 1946, with the Hawk of Quraish facing dexter rather than sinister. It was used de facto from 2024 to 2025, although it was never officially adopted. While the emblem was visually depicted throughout the Constitutional Declaration, it was not mentioned in the text. In July 2025, the Syrian government formally adopted the current emblem of Syria de jure, featuring a gold-colored eagle facing to its right, with three five-pointed stars arranged in an arc above its head.
The Constitutional Declaration defines the Syrian flag as follows: it is rectangular, with a length equal to two-thirds of its width, consisting of three equal horizontal rectangles—green at the top, white in the middle, and black at the bottom—with three red stars in the center of the white section.
Armed forces