VIII Brussels conference reaffirms support for Syrian refugees

BRUSSELS – The Day of Dialogue of the VIII Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the future of Syria and the region' opened on Tuesday with reaffirmation by the international community to support Syrian people, refugees and their host communities.

Hosted by the European Union for the eighth year, the event focused on ways to strengthen the humanitarian, financial and political support for the people of Syria as well as supporting civil society organisations' work.

During the morning session, the Emirati Jordanian Camp Adel Khamees community members urged the international community to continue supporting Jordan.

“I come here carrying many messages from Syrian refugees from Jordan that urge the international community for continued sustainable support to Jordan’s efforts in integrating refugees in their local communities,” Khamees told the gathering.

By ensuring strong support, Khamees, a Syrian refugee residing in Jordan, maintained, “the international community will contribute to securing the well-being and livelihood of Syrian refugees in Jordan”.

“Supporting the Kingdom’s efforts will work to provide better opportunities in work, education, health and other necessary fields to ensure that Syrian refugees live in a dignified manner,” Khamees stressed.

In his keynote address, European Commissioner for Crisis Management at the  Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Janez Lenarčič said “Syria has grown into one of the biggest humanitarian crises and one of the largest refugee crises in the world”.

Every year the situation worsens with little progress made towards finding a solution, Lenarčič told around 800 participants attending the Brussels Conference including representatives from the Syrian civil society (from Syria, the neighbouring countries and the diaspora), main UN stakeholders and agencies, EU Member States, third countries representatives as well as international NGOs.

However, Lenarčič maintained, “this event also gives me hope”.

“Looking around, I see undiminished determination and commitment to build a better Syria. You should know that Europe stands with you. With this event, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting Syrians both in the country and across this region,” Lenarčič stressed.

Lenarčič pointed out that “the fabric of the Syrian society is falling apart with over 70 per cent of Syrians requiring humanitarian aid”.

For years Syrians have lived with “the constant threat of violence from arbitrary arrest and torture to forced disappearance and killings,” the fabric of Syrian society is falling apart,” Lenarčič stressed.

“We know that the current situation in Syria is beyond desperate. But we must not lose hope. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of the Syrian people,” added Lenarčič. 

The EU envoy listed actions to adopt including demanding respect for international humanitarian law and Human Rights Law, the need for more long-term perspective and more funding.

Since the beginning of the conflict, the EU together "with our member states has mobilised over 33 billion euros in humanitarian, stabilisation and resilience assistance for this crisis," Lenarčič stated.

“This makes Europe one of the world's largest donors to Syria. But this alone is not enough. We urgently need more funding from more donors,” Lenarčič stressed.

During the one-day event, participants from Jordan, Lebanon and Syria urged the international community to adopt several measures to ensure the safety and well-being of Syrians residing inside and outside Syria.

Some of the recommendations focused on unifying the message that is transmitted to the international community regarding the needs and situation of the Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

The country representatives also called for supporting local and internal organisations that offer services to Syrian refugees in the three countries.

In addition, they called on the international community to support youth and women’s initiatives and projects.

There is also an urgent need to increase higher education scholarships for Syrian refugees, according to the country representatives to empower refugees to become agents of change.

They also stressed the need to support awareness-raising projects that focus on combating early marriages that are depriving young Syrian girls of education and enjoying a healthy childhood.

In addition, the representatives called for ensuring the necessary expanding work opportunities for Syrian refugees to join the labour market easily.

Work on a narrative that would show that refugees are an asset and not a problem for a certain country, according to the recommendations.

The recommendations added that there is a need to rehabilitate damaged facilities that provide essential services to Syria.

In her closing remarks, Acting Deputy Secretary General for Economic and Global Issues, European External Action Service Belén Martínez Carbonell said the Brussels Conference was an opportunity for Syrian civil society and stakeholders to have discussions that covered matters of principles.

The EU, its member states and the international community will continue to stand with the Syrian meeting, Carbonel told the gathering.

“We find it essential to build a peaceful Syria for tomorrow,” Carbonel added.

The Ministerial meeting that will be chaired by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, will take place on May 27 , and brings together State actors – notably, EU Member States, Syria's neighbouring States, and third countries – as well as representatives from the United Nations and other international organisations, to mobilise vital financial support to address the most pressing needs of Syrians and their host communities in neighbouring countries.

The EU has been organising an annual conference in Brussels since 2017 to support the future of Syria.

The conference aims to mobilise the international community behind the UN-led efforts to achieve a lasting comprehensive political solution to the Syria crisis, in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254.