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The First Civil Society Conference for the Reconstruction of Syria

15 February - 2025 - 16 February - 2025

        












Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Thani bin Khalid Al Thani
(Born on August 31, 1976)
is a member of the Qatari ruling family.
He currently serves as the CEO of the Qatar Media Corporation.
 

Sheikh Dr. Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani
is one of the prominent figures in the State of Qatar and a member of the ruling family. He studied nuclear engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder and earned his doctorate in leadership from the American University and The Hague University in the same field. He also held the position of Religious Advisor to the Emir.

The Humanitarian Funds represent a success story in international Islamic humanitarian work. Their participation in the Reconstruction of Syria Conference, organized by the Humanitarian Funds, sends a message to their founders, partners, supporters, and global humanitarian figures:
(“We extend a helping hand to you, and we stand with you in rebuilding your country, contributing to development, and uplifting the Syrian community.”)



 










 




Dr. Mahdi Dawood

Alhamdulillah, all praise to Allah who has honored us with witnessing this victory. We pray to Allah to make us a bridge for developing our country, Syria, and positioning it among the prestigious nations.

The role of civil society organizations in the development of nations is undeniable, covering various aspects such as health, education, protection, media, and even religious affairs. In all advanced countries, civil society organizations play a significant and powerful role in the advancement of both society and the state. We observe in developed communities a vast number of associations, institutions, and endowments that are diverse and numerous. In contrast, in nations under oppression, rulers often hinder the operation of these organizations, exerting full control over their activities.

We, as civil society organizations, stood by our people from the early days of the revolution, supporting them in their resilience—starting with backing demonstrations, establishing field hospitals, and later founding full-fledged hospitals and universities.

Now that we have been blessed with victory, it has become our national and humanitarian duty to rebuild a civilized Syria and restore Damascus to its rightful glory through thoughtful planning and dedicated effort.
 

Day One

15/02/2025 - Saturday

Day Two

16/02/2025 - Sunday
Opening: 9:00 AM Workshops: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Protocol Speeches: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Press Statement: 1:00 PM
Participants' Speeches: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM  
Break: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM  
Workshops: 1:30 PM - 6:00 PM

 

Conference Objectives:

Focusing on medium- and long-term reconstruction and the sustainable restoration of infrastructure, services, housing, facilities, and resilient livelihoods essential for the full functionality of a local community or disaster-affected society. This aligns with the principles of sustainable development and the "Build Back Better" framework to avoid or minimize future disaster risks based on the following:

  1. Situation Analysis: Assessing the overall state on the ground.
  2. Institutional Coordination: Ensuring ongoing communication and collaboration among institutions.
  3. Project Prioritization: Categorizing projects from the most critical to the least important.
  4. Avoiding Project Duplication: Ensuring proper follow-up to prevent redundancy in efforts.

Conference Participants:

  • Syrian Organizations and Associations
  • Turkish Organizations, Associations, and Endowments
  • Regional and International Organizations

Conference Organizers:

A Brief Overview of Syria’s Reality (2011–Present):

  • 13,000,000 Displaced People:
    • 7,000,000 living outside Syria.
  • Human Losses:
    • 1,000,000 martyrs.
    • 151,000 detainees.
    • 113,000 missing persons.
    • Hundreds of thousands in need of prosthetics.
  • Poverty:
    • 90% of the population lives below the poverty line.
  • Displacement Camps in Northern Syria:
    • 1,980 camps sheltering around 2,000,000 people.
    • 85% of the tents are uninhabitable.
  • Education:
    • 2.4 million children out of school.

Sectoral Decline Since 2011:

  1. Agricultural Sector:

    • Severe decline due to water shortages, reduced irrigation, and damaged farmlands.
    • Essential crops like wheat and cotton have suffered greatly.
    • Wheat production dropped from 4.1 million tons annually pre-war to below 1 million tons.
    • Efforts are needed for irrigation projects and rehabilitation of damaged lands.

  2. Industrial Sector:

    • Oil production fell from 385,000 barrels/day in 2010 to less than 20,000 barrels/day by 2020.
    • Industries such as textiles, chemicals, food products, and metals have ceased or been severely impacted.
    • Contribution of industry to GDP dropped from 22% pre-2011 to less than 10% in recent years.

  3. Trade Sector:

    • Trade has been heavily impacted by the collapse of the Syrian pound and rising prices of essential goods.
    • Sanctions, destroyed infrastructure, and limited access to global markets have caused exports to plummet from $5.6 billion annually to less than $1 billion.
    • Imports declined from $10 billion in 2010 to $4-5 billion in recent years.

Workshops Topics:

  1. Voluntary Return:

    • Addressing daily human needs for sustainable living.
    • Focus on infrastructure: schools, clinics, roads.

  2. Development:

    • Agricultural and industrial development.

  3. Media and Communication:

    • Marketing outcomes.
    • Highlighting workshop efforts.
    • Raising community awareness about the initiatives.

  4. Women and Child Protection:

    • Supporting orphans, widows, and the homeless.

  5. Legal Advocacy:

    • Addressing cases of enforced disappearances.
    • Assisting released detainees.
    • Restoring rights to their rightful owners.

  6. Education:

    • Covering all levels: primary, preparatory, secondary, and university education.

  7. Health:

    • Addressing physical, psychological, and social health needs.


 

Conference Committees:

  1. Conference Sponsors:

    • Diamond Sponsor
    • Gold Sponsor
    • Silver Sponsor
    • Bronze Sponsor

  2. Preparatory Committee:

    • Overseeing invitation cards and selecting appropriate participants for the conference.

  3. Organizing Committee:

    • Categorizing and scheduling participants, their roles, and positions.

  4. Advisory Committee:

    • Comprised of experts providing advice and guidance.

  5. Execution Committee:

    • Includes administrators, logisticians, and active members.

  6. Financial Support Committee:

    • Manages the conference fund and gathers donations.

  7. Secretariat Committee:

    • Registers participants, attendees, and invitees, and ensures smooth execution of the conference program.

  8. Follow-Up and Implementation Committee:

    • Monitors sessions, discussions, and records minutes and interventions during the conference.

  9. Media Committee:

    • Invites and coordinates with media outlets.
    • Issues press statements related to the conference.

Background:

Syria has endured over a decade of hardships, losing significant human resources and infrastructure. Under the previous regime, no advancements or repairs were made, neither in human capacities nor in the existing technologies and machinery. As a result, the country lags far behind global progress and lacks even the most basic living conditions.

  • Thousands remain in camps with inadequate shelter.
  • Thousands suffer from psychological trauma due to forced detention.
  • Thousands face severe social and economic challenges.

The Syrian society urgently needs support in economic, agricultural, industrial, social, and health sectors to recover and thrive.

The Role of Civil Society Organizations:

The previous regime left behind a weakened state lacking the tools, equipment, and workforce needed to rebuild a war-torn society. The responsibility now falls on local and international civil society organizations to:

  • Enhance citizens' living conditions.
  • Improve and develop state institutions to achieve a renaissance for Syria's future.

To maximize efficiency, coordination among organizations working on Syrian issues is essential. This ensures:

  • Efforts are unified and not duplicated.
  • Targeted groups are reached with minimal effort.
  • Desired outcomes are achieved in record time.

Purpose of the Conference:

This conference aims to bring together local, regional, and international institutions to:

  • Analyze the current situation in Syria.
  • Identify and prioritize the most critical projects.
  • Foster coordination and collaboration among organizations to ensure efforts are integrated and impactful.

The ultimate goal is to achieve the rapid reconstruction of a free, developed, and progressive Syria.