Executive Summary
The European Union’s (EU) first Day of Dialogue in Damascus, held in 2025, represented a
pivotal moment in Syria’s post-conflict trajectory.
Marking a deliberate and historic return to
direct engagement within the Syrian capital after fourteen years of conflict, the event brought
together the Syrian Transitional Government (STG), the EU, and a broad spectrum of Syrian
civil society organisations (CSO) across six thematic roundtables. The overarching tone of the
dialogue was one of cautious yet resolute optimism - a shared recognition that while the path
to recovery is fraught with immense challenges, a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process
is both necessary and achievable.
The discussions coalesced around several critical priorities. Foremost among these was the
urgent need for comprehensive legal and institutional reform, recognised as the bedrock for
a stable and just future for the country. This included the imperative to replace outdated legislation
- most prominently the 1958 Civil Society Law - and to establish robust legal frameworks
for transitional justice and accountability. Equally significant was the unanimous call for
a strategic shift from emergency humanitarian relief to sustainable economic development,
emphasising self-reliance, job creation, and the integration of marginalised populations into
the economic fabric of a recovering Syria.
The central role of transitional justice and accountability in healing social wounds and fostering
genuine social cohesion was consistently underscored across sessions, with participants
stressing the importance of victim-centric approaches and transparent mechanisms. The
STG’s expressed commitment to these reforms - including the establishment of the National
Commission for the Missing (NCM) and the National Commission for Transitional Justice
(NCTJ) - was met with a clear demand from Syrian civil society for greater transparency, regular
communication, and concrete timelines for implementation. The EU’s announcement of
a EUR 139 million socioeconomic recovery package, prioritising vocational education, institutional
capacity building, and justice and accountability mechanisms, further solidified the
international community’s long-term engagement.
As a benchmark for future engagement, the Day of Dialogue laid the foundation for a new
paradigm of partnership between Syria’s state and civil society, and the international community.
It amplified the critical importance of inclusivity, ensuring that the voices and needs of
youth, women, persons with disabilities, and victims’ families are not merely acknowledged
but actively integrated into decision-making and policy formulation. While the dialogue illuminated
significant areas requiring further attention - notably the absence of specific legislative
timelines, the practicalities of addressing deep-seated sectarian tensions., the lack of
unified financing strategy for reconstruction, and the need for more concrete mechanisms for
diaspora engagement - it demonstrated a collective recognition that Syria’s enduring recovery
is inextricably linked to a unified, transparent, and accountable approach that prioritises
the dignity, rights, and well-being of all its citizens.
