The ninth edition of the “Day of Dialogue” with Syrian civil society organizations, held as part of the “Brussels 9” conference to support Syria, concluded in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Saturday, 15 November.

This year’s event, organized by the European Union for the first time in Damascus, focused on civil society in Syria, under several themes, including: building partnerships between the Syrian government and civil society, transitional justice, empowering Syrian youth, protecting the expressive space of civil society, governance and political participation, and the shift from humanitarian aid to recovery and resilience.

Organizers, panelists, and participants in the “Day of Dialogue” discussions reached a set of recommendations, announced in the closing session, including:

• Transforming the stereotypical perception of civil society from an approach based on control to one based on coordination, cooperation, and partnership with the Syrian government.
• Working to review the regulatory framework governing civil society and simplifying registration and licensing procedures.
• Cooperation between the Syrian government and civil society to focus transitional justice efforts and strengthen its pathways by developing an approach that links transitional justice to the issue of the missing in order to achieve sustainable peace and genuine reconciliation.
• Helping to identify key support mechanisms between civil society and the Syrian government to meet victims’ needs in the process of transitional justice.
• Strengthening political participation and the engagement of civil society in involving citizens and building institutions.
• Working to create processes that make decision making more inclusive and participatory.
• Building on the principles and recommendations adopted at the end of previous national dialogue sessions, and exploring the possibility of relaunching a comprehensive national dialogue that includes all Syrians, in cooperation between the government and civil society organizations.
• Working together to put an end to hate speech, expand the expressive space available to civil society, and protect the right to cultural diversity.
• Empowering Syrian youth in the labor market and building their core capacities.
• Investing in the potential of young people and teaching them key skills that complement university education.
• Providing humanitarian needs in a sustainable, continuous manner and strengthening recovery efforts in Syria.
• Ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches the most vulnerable groups, including older persons and children.
• Emphasizing the importance of creating job opportunities for Syrians and involving the private sector within policies that take into account women and persons with disabilities, in line with the recovery framework in Syria.
• Removing obstacles and challenges that hinder the work of civil defense organizations, especially those stemming from government procedures.
• Translating social cohesion into practice on the ground and exploring avenues for peacebuilding through the economy and small-scale projects.

A new page between the government and civil society

The event, held for the first time in Syria, brought together hundreds of participants, most of them from Syrian civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations, alongside representatives of the Syrian government, the European Union, and its member states.

Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Hind Kabawat told Enab Baladi that civil society in Syria is now opening a new page with the Syrian government, given that it has been active during the past years of the revolution.

Kabawat believes that today’s dialogue marks the beginning of change, and that rebuilding Syria can only be achieved through a close partnership based on mutual respect between the state and society.

Civil society is a partner in building the state, in planning, implementation, and accountability, she said, in cooperation with state institutions and international organizations, and is a guarantor of justice and transparency in Syria.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani explained that civil society is not a new phenomenon, but rather an extension of unions and local humanitarian and student initiatives that operated under extremely difficult circumstances, and that today it serves as a bridge between the state and society.

Olof Skoog, Deputy Secretary-General for External Action at the European External Action Service, noted that the “Day of Dialogue” is an opportunity for Syrians to express their views on the future of their country.

Holding the “Day of Dialogue” in Syria for the first time reflects the European Union’s continued support for a safe, enabling, and independent civic space in Syria and its readiness to accompany Syrians on their path toward reconciliation and social cohesion, Skoog said.

Since 2017, the European Union has organized annual donor conferences in Brussels to support Syria. This year’s conference was held under the title “Standing with Syria: Meeting the Needs of a Successful Transition.”

Ongoing EU support

The organization of the “Day of Dialogue” in Damascus marks an important step in the EU’s support for a safe, empowered, and independent civic space in Syria, and its readiness to accompany Syrians on their path toward reconciliation and social cohesion, according to a statement issued by the European Union on 14 November.

Dubravka Šuica, European Commission Vice President and Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, said that holding the “Day of Dialogue” in Syria for the first time reflects the EU’s ongoing support for inclusiveness and reconciliation and for providing a safe, dynamic civic space in Syria.

“This event confirms our readiness to accompany Syrians on their path toward justice, social cohesion, and peaceful transition,” she said.

For her part, European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas considered that, after decades of “brutal dictatorship,” Syria now has an opportunity to rebuild itself in a way that reflects the will of the Syrian people.

She sees a safe, independent, and vibrant civic space as an essential part of this process, stressing that it “allows Syrians to express their views about their country’s future and make their voices heard.”

Kallas underlined that the EU’s support for Syria is not just words but also action, noting that the European Union is providing 2.5 billion euros in assistance to support Syria’s reconstruction.

European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Hajja Lahbib, said in the statement that, after 14 years of conflict, holding the “Day of Dialogue” in Damascus is a milestone, as Syrians come together for a genuine, Syrian-led dialogue on how to rebuild their country.

“Syria now stands at a pivotal moment, full of opportunities and responsibilities,” Lahbib said, adding, “During my visit to Syria earlier this year, I met members of Syrian civil society who had returned to their country to start rebuilding their communities.”

She stressed that the European Union will continue to provide humanitarian and early recovery assistance to the most vulnerable groups for as long as needed, and will support Syria’s transition from humanitarian aid to sustainable economic recovery that improves the daily lives of all Syrians.

In Damascus

On 17 March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the “Day of Dialogue” with Syrian civil society organizations, held as part of the “Brussels 9” conference, was planned to take place for the first time in Damascus, since the start of the conference series in 2017.

“In the old Syria, there was a dictator who controlled all political and economic power, whereas in the new Syria, power can return to those who deserve it, namely to the Syrian people, and this is where we can help,” von der Leyen said in her address to donor country representatives at the Brussels conference.

She added, “Here at the Brussels conferences, we have always hosted representatives of Syrian civil society from inside the country and from the diaspora, and some of them were prevented from attending by the Assad regime because of their ideas. But now, finally, they can make their voices heard, and I am honored to announce that this year we are planning to hold the Brussels civil society dialogue in Damascus, because all Syrians deserve to take their future into their own hands.”