What’s Next for Syria? LUGARIT at GLD Policy Roundtable

05 February 2025 - Governance and Local Development Institute (GLD)

On February 5, 2025, Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj, Co-founder and Partner at LUGARIT, participated in the GLD Policy Roundtable titled What is Next for Syria? Challenges and Opportunities. The event, organized by the Governance and Local Development Institute (GLD) at the University of Gothenburg, in collaboration with Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy, brought together experts to discuss the evolving governance, economic, and security challenges facing Syria.

Key Insights from the Discussion

The roundtable provided critical insights into the realities of post-Assad Syria, highlighting the complexities of governance, economic instability, and transitional justice.

• Fragmented Governance & Political Uncertainty: Over 13 years of conflict, multiple governance models have emerged, making reintegration and coordination a major challenge. The current government faces competing priorities and limited institutional capacity to manage the transition.

• Economic Pressures & Survival Strategies: With 90% of the population in poverty and basic services like bread, electricity, and water in crisis, economic recovery remains uncertain. Foreign investment is constrained by sanctions, financial overcompliance, and governance concerns.

• The Role of Local and International Actors: Local communities have played a crucial role in survival, relying on informal economies, remittances, and social networks. However, the influence of international actors, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, is shaping governance models and economic stabilization efforts.

• Transitional Justice & Social Cohesion: Deep-seated grievances, property disputes, and unresolved conflicts complicate Syria’s reconciliation process. Legal solutions alone are insufficient—a national dialogue process is needed to foster long-term stability.

LUGARIT’s Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj emphasized the need for locally grounded governance approaches, cautioning against quick-fix, top-down solutions that fail to address structural and socio-economic challenges. He highlighted:

• The discrepancy between national-level reforms and local realities, where communities continue to rely on social capital and informal economies for survival.

• The risks of economic mismanagement, particularly capital controls and inflation, which disproportionately impact the most vulnerable.

• The importance of an inclusive national dialogue process to address governance fragmentation and build a sustainable post-conflict governance model.

Panelists 

The event featured leading experts:

• OmarAbdulaziz Hallaj: Co-founder and Partner at LUGARIT 

• Ezra Karmel: Technical Director of Proximity International

Moderator 

The event was facilitated by Ellen Lust: Founder and Director of GLD, Professor at Cornell University and University of Gothenburg, and Director of the Einaudi Center for International Relations at Cornell University.

Watch The Discussion 

Next Steps

The discussion reinforced the urgency of pragmatic, locally driven policy approaches to ensure Syria’s governance and economic recovery. Participants agreed that:

• Inclusive governance frameworks must be harmonized across the country balancing local representation and decision making with national stability and statecraft.

• Economic reforms should prioritize immediate needs while laying the groundwork for long-term stability.

• Transitional justice mechanisms must go beyond legal frameworks to address broader societal reconciliation.

LUGARIT remains committed to fostering inclusive policy debates and practical solutions for Syria’s future. We will continue engaging with stakeholders to support context-sensitive governance and economic recovery strategies in post-conflict Syria.

Header Photo

A boy & girl amid the celebrations at Umayyad Square, Damascus, Syria.  9 December 2024.  Photo © Ahmed Akacha - via Pexels.  Photo editing by LUGARIT.  Link>

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