Grants

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia

Project Title

For Phase III of the National Agenda for the Future of Syria

Date

Dec. 08, 2022

Duration

36 months

Description

In response to the conflict in Syria, in 2012 the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA) launched a platform for the region’s social scientists to participate in joint economic and social policy development. The National Agenda for the Future of Syria (NAFS) serves as a technical policy dialogue focused on the transition from conflict toward reconstruction in Syria. It is a leading provider of data and analysis to the UN Special Envoy for Syria and UN Member States. With Corporation support, NAFS Phase II produced tools to support resilience and reconciliation by addressing significant social, economic, and governance issues that led to the conflict. Phase III aims to contribute to peacebuilding by providing impact-oriented research and analysis to Syrian stakeholders and the wider region and facilitating substantive discussion on reform options and needs. Focus areas include boosting regional economic growth, leveraging remittances for post-conflict Syrian development, and decentralization. Corporation funds will support staff costs, research and dissemination, dialogues, conferences and meetings. 

Project Title

For the National Agenda for the Future of Syria (NAFS) Programme Phase II

Date

Sep. 13, 2018

Duration

51 months

Description

The escalation of the Syrian crisis over the past seven years has disintegrated national unity and the Syrian state. The United Nation’s National Agenda for the Future of Syria (NAFS) program is a multi-year technical political dialogue that is focused on the transition from conflict toward reconstruction in Syria. It is a lead provider of content and position papers to the UN Special Envoy for Syria. Building on the content produced with Corporation support in Phase I, the NAFS program will emphasize a scaling up of communication and outreach efforts in Phase II. It will increase communication activities through traditional media, social media, and the NAFS website, and will expand visibility by organizing media events and international partners meetings. The NAFS program will also hold capacity-building workshops to develop organizational and outreach skills.

Project Title

For support of the National Agenda for the Future of Syria (Phase II)

Date

Sep. 07, 2017

Duration

12 months

Description

The escalation of the Syrian crisis over the past five years has disintegrated national unity and the Syrian state. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia’s (UNESCWA) National Agenda for the Future of Syria Program is a multi-year technical dialogue on the transition from local wartime governing councils to wider governance structures in Syria. Working with over one hundred Syrian social scientists and experts, mostly in diaspora, UNESCWA is working to build post-conflict governance and economic structures, moving from local to wider levels within Syrian political structures. The process entails substantive discussions of a negotiated 500-page Agenda document on the future course of the country, and its implementation toward a sustainable, decentralized political solution.

Project Title

For support of the National Agenda for the Future of Syria (Phase II)

Date

Mar. 03, 2016

Duration

17 months

Description

This proposal is recommended in the frame of the new program area to explore programming based on the principles of human rights, citizenship, democracy, social equity and justice to develop sustainable solutions and informed policy on the ongoing Syrian conflict. The escalation of the Syrian crisis over the past five years has presented a real threat to the disintegration of national unity and the Syrian state. Without concrete and substantive discussions on the future course of the country, finding a sustainable political solution to the crisis seems unlikely.