Unlocking Potential: The Civic and Economic Role of the Private Sector in Syria

02 May 2024 -  Brussels, Belgium

On May 2, 2024, Brussels hosted the event, "Unlocking Potential: The Civic and Economic Role of the Private Sector in Syria," at the UN House. This event, organized by UNDP, the London School of Economics, ILO, and the embassies of Italy and Japan in Syria, was a side event at the European Union’s Eighth Brussels Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region.”

The discussion built on the momentum from previous engagements, including the 2023 Brussels VII Conference and an extended session in Turin in March 2024. These discussions have been pivotal in assessing the role of Syria's private sector in fostering economic opportunities, civic responsibility and social peace. The event was facilitated by Mr. Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj, a partner at LUGARIT, who has been instrumental in leading these dialogues. The event included private sector actors coming from all parts of syria, civic initiatives focused on livelihoods and local entrepreneurship as well as UN agencies and several diplomats working on the issue in Syria .

The focus of the event was to explore the dual role of the Syrian private sector, emphasizing not only its economic impact but also its potential in supporting communities through its social and civic responsibilities. This approach highlights the necessity for the private sector to complement other actors working on early recovery, and stabilizing communities. Coordination with public authorities and international actors was also a critical topic, to foster practical solutions to structural problems hindering the role of the private sector. 

The objectives of the side event included discussing the historical civic engagement of the Syrian private sector and its evolution through the crisis, understanding the intertwined civic and economic roles, and identifying the challenges that prevent the private sector from contributing to job creation. Furthermore, the event explored potentials for engagement with the international community, the Syrian diaspora, and civil society to bolster the private sector’s role in Syria’s early recovery and resilience-building.

The proposed recommendations were aimed at policymakers, international organizations, businesspersons, and members of the Syrian diaspora and civil society. These recommendations focused on overcoming the challenges faced by the private sector and unlocking its potential to contribute positively to Syria’s societal and economic landscape. They included:

• Sustain dialogue at all levels to bridge gaps among local and diaspora businesses, Syrian private sector and national and international regulatory bodies as well as B2B meetings with European businesses.

• Explore operational opportunities for networking among the different regions of Syria to reconstruct value chains that support positive business intersections and reduce dependency on the war economy.

• Support dialogue between businesses and workers to improve working conditions.

• Support in covering the knowledge gap and bringing Syrian businesses up to date on know-how and markets.

• Support in advocacy for a better regulatory environment and compliance to reduce the negative impacts of over-compliance with the sanctions.

This event promises to be a step toward integrating the Syrian private sector into broader recovery and peace-building efforts, ensuring that it plays a constructive role in the nation’s future.

Header Photo

One Syrian pound banknote.  Issue date 1977.  Photo courtesy of CGB Numismatics Paris.  Link >

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