The Coordination Committee is largely based inside Syria, and was formed at a congress in Damascus. It gathers most of the political parties of the National Democratic Rally, formerly Syria‘s main secular opposition coalition, but also other organizations. It has a generally secular membership, although not exclusively so. Most member organizations have a leftist profile, while some are also strongly Arab Nationalist or Kurdish Nationalist.

The Coordination Committee is sometimes described as more moderate in its opposition strategy than the Syrian National Council, but it does call for the dismantlement of the Syrian dictatorship and the removal of Bashar al-Assad as president. It is generally strongly opposed to foreign intervention.