Overview
SAFER – the Syrian Aid Forum for Emergency and Reconstruction concluded successfully in Beirut, Lebanon. It was held on June 1-2, 2016 at the Movenpick Hotel and was supported by the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labor, and the United Nations through the UNSCOL office in Beirut and the UN specialized agencies. The Azm and Saade Foundation was the associate sponsor of this event.
SAFER gathered over 400 select participants including government delegations from Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq, United Nations agencies, the European Union (EU) and regional and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs and NGOs). The conference proved to be a landmark meeting which addressed challenges in achieving operational and field requirements in providing for nearly five million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.
SAFER is organized by SEGMA, a Dubai-based company, in association with HBC, a Beirut-based public policy consultancy.
Schedule
AGENDA – DAY 1
08.30–09.30 | Registration and Morning Refreshments |
09.30 – 10.00 | Welcome and Opening Remarks |
Rachid Derbas, Minister of Social Affairs, Lebanon Christos Stylianides, Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management Commissioner, European Union Sigrid Kaag, United Nations Special Coordinator, Lebanon Riad Kahwaji, CEO, Segma, Dubai Antoine Haddad, CEO, HBC sal, Lebanon Presenter: Najat Charafeddine, Journalist, TV anchor | |
Plenary Session 1 | |
10.00–11.30 | The Humanitarian Response – Obstacles and Outlook, Lessons Learned Rachid Derbas, Minister of Social Affairs, Lebanon Christos Stylianides, Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management Commissioner, European Union Mireille Girard, UNHCR Representative, Lebanon Tarek Mitri, Director, IFI (Issam Fares Institute) – AUB, Former Minister of Information, Lebanon Samar Muhareb, Director, Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), Jordan Moderator: Maha Yahya, Director, Carnegie Middle East Center |
11.30–12.00 | Break |
Expert Panels | |
12.00 – 13.30 | Expert Panel 1: Another Face to the Crisis: Child Protection and Maintaining Proper Education Sonia El Khoury, Head of Unit, R.A.C.E. Program, Ministry of Education, Lebanon Haneen Sayed, Program Leader (Human Development), World Bank , Lebanon Sanaa Awada, Expert, Ministry of Social Affairs, Lebanon Anthony MacDonald, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF, Lebanon Moderator: Nahla Hwalla, Dean of Faculty of Agricultural & Food Sciences, American University of Beirut |
Expert Panel 2: Public-Private Partnerships to Multiply Capabilities Ziad Hayek, Secretary General, Higher Council for Privatization (HCP), Lebanon Fouad Zmokhol, President, Lebanese Businessmen Association (RDCL), Lebanon Peter Mousley, Program Leader (Finance & Private Sector), Mashreq, World Bank. Toufic Dabbousi, President, Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Tripoli, Lebanon Moderator: Rock-Antoine Mehanna, Dean, Faculty of Business Administration and Finance, Sagesse University, Lebanon | |
13.30–15.00 | Lunch |
Plenary Session 2 | |
15.00–16.30 | Impact of Refugees on Host Countries – Turning the Burden into Asset Elias Bou Saab, Minister of Education, Lebanon Ferid Belhaj, Middle East Director, World Bank Yassine Jaber, Member of Parliament, Former Minister of Economy, Lebanon Tanya Chapuisat, UNICEF Representative, Lebanon Saban Kardas, President, ORSAM (Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies), Ankara, Turkey Moderator: Adib Nehmeh, Regional Advisor on Peace building, ESCWA |
16.30 | End of Day 1 |
AGENDA – DAY 2
09.00–09.30 | Registration (continued) |
Plenary Session 3 | |
09.30 – 11.00 | Reconstruction of Syria – How does the Future Look Like Raya Haffar Al Hassan, President of TSZE (Tripoli Special Economic Zone), Former Minister of Finance, Lebanon Makram Sader, Secretary General, Lebanese Banks Association, Lebanon Khalid Abu-Ismail, Chief, Economic Development and Poverty Section, ESCWA Jihad Yazigi, Editor-in-Chief, Syria Report Abdul Ilah Mikati, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Azm University, Lebanon Moderator: Nassif Hitti, Ambassador, Head of Mission of the Arab League Mission in Paris |
11.00 – 11.30 | Break |
Expert Panels | |
11.30–13.00 | Expert Panel 3: Syria at War: Impact on Syrians and Neighboring Countries Ferhat Pirincci, Academic Coordinator, Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM), Ankara, Turkey Denise Sumpf, Chief, Economic Governance and Planning Section, ESCWA Khalid Abu-Ismail, Chief, Economic Development and Poverty Section, ESCWA Fouad Fouad, MD and Assistant Professor, American University of Beirut (AUB), Aleppo University (Formerly) Sami Kabbani, Coordinator, Saudi National Campaign to Aid Syria, Beirut, Lebanon. Moderator: Jad Chaaban, Associate Professor of Economics at the American University of Beirut |
"Expert Panel 4: Integration of Youth programs in the response plans Fady Daou, Chairman, Adyan Foundation, Lebanon Rouba Mhaissen, Founder and Director, Sawa Foundation (UK), Sawa for Development and Aid (Lebanon) Umut Kumru, Specialist, AFAD (Disaster & Emergency Authority),Turkey Aimee Karam, Expert, Ministry of Social Affairs, Lebanon Moderator: Ziad Abdel Samad, Executive Director, Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) | |
13:00–15:00 | Lunch |
15:00 | End of Forum |
Venue Information
Patrons
Sponsors
Partners
Day 1 – June 1, 2016
Opening Session
Riad Kahwaji, CEO, SEGMA, Dubai opened the conference by welcoming the attendees and thanking the sponsors and patrons of this important event.
Dr. Antoine Haddad, CEO, HBC SAL regarded the huge role that the Syrian refugee crisis plays in Lebanon as a neighboring country and as the largest host of refugees, taking into consideration its status as a weak state that needs to set national objectives concerning this issue while disregarding local political agendas. He stressed the importance of this forum which has an international outlook and incorporates the views of relevant countries and stakeholders. He also addressed the issue of sharing burdens, because Lebanon cannot handle the enormous economic burden on its own. Sharing burdens isn’t only granting soft loans, aid and donation, but surpasses this to include discussing solutions for the long term. He concluded by thanking H.E. Rachid Derbas, H.E. Sigrid Kaag, experts, organizers and sponsors and wished for a successful and tolerant conference.
H.E. Sigrid Kaag, United Nations Special Coordinator, Lebanon said the global backdrop to which this forum takes place is important to look at with 60 million people today being refugees and displaced, 40 million being internally displaced and 20 million being refugees. All these factors are challenging the stability of governments, with regional economies and humanitarian response systems under increased pressures. Kaag spoke about the importance of burden sharing and collective action and the need to shift and search for collective solutions and actions so that no one country feels that it should carry the burden on its own. Lebanon is clearly amongst the most impacted countries in the refugee crisis and all those involved including the Prime Minister and ministers have done a lot to find solutions to this crisis and its effect on their country. There are significant ongoing investments that are attempting to ensure Lebanon’s stability and security. She stressed that matters of citizenship and continued residence are a matter of the Lebanese constitution and national law and go under sovereign decision making by the state only.
H.E. Christos Stylianides, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Commissioner, European Union stated that humanitarian access is a pressing issue in the Syrian conflict that must be addressed. The European Union has not only supported refugees but also host communities to help them cope with the pressures of this conflict. Access to education is necessary and needs to be enhanced especially as it is the best tool against radicalization which could also pose a risk on host countries and communities. He concluded by saying his organizations’ support for Lebanon is not only financial but a partnership of shared burden which is also political in nature.
H.E. Rachid Derbas, Minister of Social Affairs, Lebanon commenced by telling the audience about a conference he attended in Geneva regarding the naturalization of refugees. Countries were discussing the possibility of taking in 100,000 refugees as a major obstacle, while he stated that one single village in Lebanon, Arsal, carries this entire burden themselves. Facing this terror is an international stability that should be based on solidarity and joint defense that would lead to a guaranteed political solution achieved by all states. He discussed the huge burden that Lebanon has faced due to this crisis, both social and economic, amounting to 20 billion dollars. He concluded by reassuring the crowd that Syria shall rise again and the Syrian people shall return to their homeland, and that Lebanon will always serve as a key place for the reconstruction of Syria. The whole world should have solidarity with Syrian refugees and help them in recovering and rebuilding what has been destroyed.
Plenary Session 1: The Humanitarian Response: Obstacles and Outlook, Lessons Learned
Maha Yehya, Director, Carnegie Middle East Center moderated the plenary session which covered the international, Lebanese and Jordanian experiences. She stated that there is a big shift in the demography with the crisis affecting the whole area given the huge influx of refugees – it is so hard to provide education and jobs to such a huge population. She also addressed the problem of coordination on all levels: local, regional as well as international hence coordination mechanisms should be priorities on our agenda.
H.E. Rachid Derbas, Minister of Social Affairs, Lebanon stated that the Syrians once lived a normal life with homes and jobs just like everyone else, but after the crisis they have been distributed very arbitrary, relying on aid and relief to go on with their lives. He stressed that the mission of such conferences should be to spread the hope of return to the refugees or we will be accomplices in making a nuclear bomb bigger than Hiroshima.
H.E. Christos Stylianides, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Commissioner, European Union stated that the most important message to send the Syrians is that they are not alone in this crisis. This is an international responsibility and the commitments of the Lebanese government and other regional governments have limits. Migrants and IDPS are not a Lebanese or regional issue but a global one. He also added that the EU does not only have a financial collaboration with Lebanon on this crisis, but a political partnership sharing the same values. He mentioned that the EU’s overall funding from the beginning of the Syrian crisis is 60 billion US dollars, which makes them the biggest donors to this crisis, with a reiteration that this is a moral obligation and they will continue to support this crisis as long as it takes.
Mireille Girard, UNHCR Representative, Lebanon stressed on the humanitarian dimension of the crisis; most refugees are traumatized from what they have endured. The approach that should be done is to scale up social protection in the Lebanese community and the refugees community. She mentioned that one lesson learned from Lebanon in handling the refugees, is the way they were dispersed into local communities rather than living in specialized refugee camps. This policy has allowed the local communities to also benefit from the aid that has been provided by the international community to build hospitals and schools. Girard stated that the average of debt per Syrian refugee family is around 1000 dollars which is increasing since the beginning of the crisis, however she stressed that we should avoid assistance dependency at all costs and let the ones who can support themselves do so on their own like pay their rent and pay their bills. This way we can focus on the less fortunate in a more significant way so the safety net becomes more efficient as well. We should make a comprehensive approach by sitting together on the municipality level and on the central government level as well as with the communities in order to come up with better solutions. This creates tension and disempowerment which delay solutions.
Samar Muhareb, Director of Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), Jordan mentioned that as a civil society representative, they are facing huge political shifts and dynamics in addition to humanitarian concerns. They have to cover the gaps of regulatory framework to capture the everyday challenges in operations. Muhareb added that there has been considerable improvement on the security front in Jordan in relation this crisis, however very little progress has taken place over the past six years on the relief and coordination front. In addition to Syrian refugees, Jordan has around 45,000 Yemeni refugees, hence resources need to be designated for the more urgent cases/crisis. She reiterated her wish to receive further support from EU and other international agencies in the crisis response.
Expert Panel 1: Another Face to the Crisis: Child Protection and Maintaining Proper Education
Dr. Nahla Hwalla, Dean of Faculty of Agricultural & Food Sciences, AUB moderated the first expert panel and introduced the first speaker on the panel.
Sonia El Khoury, Manager of the Program Management Unit (PMU), R.A.C.E Program, Ministry of Education, Lebanon mentioned that all schools provide social psychological support. In addition, she noted that a lot of Syrian students face problems with secondary languages so they worked on that issue by letting teachers give young children subjects in the English language like Math in order for them to grasp the language properly. She explained that the RACE Program is a three year program that has several components. She concluded by saying that responsibility must be shared to provide a proper education to these children in order to pursue higher education and get jobs so they can support themselves in the future.
Haneen Sayed, Program Leader (Human Development), World Bank, Lebanon stated that they have various programs within the World Bank however focused on the education programs during the discussion. She noted that there has been commendable progress in Lebanon in terms of providing education to a huge number of children. One of the most important elements she mentioned that made this happen was a multi-year strategy that was placed to accommodate a large number of students. She added that the new program focuses on building the systems of the government so they can handle the response, budget, and the information system. She concluded by saying that they are strengthening the schools so they are able to handle their financing and autonomy independently.
Sanaa Awada, Expert, Ministry of Social Affairs, Lebanon stated that the ministry seeks to provide protection to the most vulnerable populations covering most Lebanese territories. She mentioned that in 2012, the Lebanese government adopted the strategy to support children under all forms of violence despite the fact that no budget was allocated for this strategy and the only Ministry which worked on this was the Ministry of Social Affairs. She added that with the emergence of armed conflict and trafficking, they set objectives to help deal with children facing such crisis. She continued to speak about the emergence of the Syrian crisis, where the Ministry launched a national strategy to protect children and women in Lebanon and to centralize the work of all subunits in Lebanon. She mentioned that centers known as SDCs have been established to listen to children and women who are victims and are currently still signing new contracts with NGO’s and CSO’s regarding child protection. She concluded by saying that they are also seeking to institutionalize the work of all CSOs and NGOs with the Ministry and are also seeking a partnership with the Italian government and other specialized agencies to provide free hotline services for women and children facing violence.
Anthony Mcdonald, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF, Lebanon stated that around 80 to 88% of children in all social classes face violence or violent discipline. He added that as a result of the Syrian crisis, they have realized that the level of violence against children has increased. For example, he explains that child marriage has gone up three fold not only with Syrian girls but also with Lebanese. He claims that violence against children appears in the new transformative agenda and the sustainable development goals that all countries are signed up to. He also calculated that the economic cost of violence is 2% of the GDP and that it is an epidemic that should be addressed. He stressed that one of the roles of his organization, UNICEF, is to support governments and that is what they are doing with Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA National Plan). They worked together to come up with the equivalent of RACE program for child protection. He concluded by saying that they worked on strengthening the government’s ability to strengthen its capacity and handle its finances.
Expert Panel 2: Public-Private Partnerships to Multiply Capabilities
Dr .Rock-Antoine Mehanna, Dean, Faculty of Business Administration and Finance, Sagesse University moderated the second expert panel and introduced the speakers and posed his first questions to the first speaker.
Ziad Hayek, Secretary General, Higher Council for Privatization (HCP), Lebanon informed the audience and panel that as a refugee from the Lebanese war himself, he understands the plight of refugees on a very personal level. He stated that PPP is a very important means of dealing with the economic situation that we have. He added that infrastructure is needed very much in Lebanon as the government has historically invested only 4% on infrastructure as it doesn’t have enough money to do so. He informed the audience that while the government has been unable to pass legislation for PPP despite many attempts, PPP formal legislation is not required for implementation but it is required for best practice purposes.
Peter Mousley, Program Leader (Finance and Private Sector), Mashreq, World Bank stated that his organization fully recognizes the contributions of Lebanon and Jordan to the Syrian refugee crisis. He stated that one of Lebanon’s problems is that they don’t have grants, and only lend money based on interest rates. He mentioned the idea of using the money pledged in Washington ($1 billion as a grant) to build infrastructure and other initiatives. He concluded by saying that money is currently being generated and the World Bank is in the process of trying to identify projects with the government of Lebanon.
Dr. Fouad Zmokhol, President, Lebanese Businessmen Association (RDCL), Lebannon noted that the Lebanese private sector is paying a high price for the crisis. He added that they are trying to build up a certain growth, a certain investment in the face of this crisis and that the resilience of the private sector is a double edged weapon. He stated that as a country, Lebanon is responsible for any person in need on its territory, but this should be limited to the country’s capabilities. On a public and private level, he stated that the country cannot support 50% of the population on the ground as it surpasses current capability.
Toufic Dabbousi, President, Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Tripoli, Lebanon suggested that solutions need to be proposed to alleviate the effects of the crisis. He stated that around 40% of the prisoners in Lebanese prisoners are Syrians which means that criminality in Lebanon will expand with the continued influx and this doesn’t serve the interests of the country. He added that the international community is forced to work with the private sector in establishing functioning partnerships and generating job opportunities in agriculture and other sectors, especially with a semi-paralyzed Lebanese government. He noted that Tripoli and the north is a very promising region that has great potential to contribute greatly to the Lebanese economy.
During the discussion Mr. Hayek mentioned “people-first PPP” which include many projects where governments are able to exploit private land to employ thousands of people and this is creating very good results. He added that housing is another major problem that needs to be addressed and that the private sector can play a big role in this regard as well.
Dr. Zmokhol continued to say that the international community can help Lebanon grow its agriculture sector and help the people make better use of the land. He mentioned that a fund is needed to help Syrian SME’s and micro-companies thrive to boost overall employment and growth.
Mr. Dabbousi agreed that the international community has to collaborate and work with the private sector as the sector has achieved many positive outcomes both in Lebanon and in foreign countries. The panel was concluded on this note.
Plenary Session 2: Impact of Refugees on Host Countries: Turning the Burden into Asset
Adib Nehme, Regional Advisor on Peace Building, ESCWA was the moderator for the second plenary session and introduced all the esteemed speakers.
H.E. Elias Bou Saab, Minister of Education, Lebanon noted that there has been some disagreement regarding the correct term to use – whether displaced people or refugees. He continued to say that he considers Syrians in Lebanon as displaced and not refugees, because refugees have different rights and are usually political refugees. They are displaced because they were forced to leave their homes due to violence and conflict he explained. He mentioned that RACE was the first plan that used Lebanese public schools as much as possible as they have been trying their best in the last two years to see how they can absorb as many students as possible without having a negative impact on the education sector. However, during the last four years, he stated that it stopped them from being able to improve their curriculum and the education sector as a whole. He added that public schools in Lebanon are not adequately equipped to deal with such circumstances which is why they require the assistance and partnership of the international community. He concluded by saying that there are serious parties and stakeholders that are really helping the education sector in Lebanon, however NGO’s were only able to access and help 50% of these children.
Haneen Sayed, Program Leader (Human Development), World Bank, Lebanon stated that the shift between humanitarian and developmental approach is not actually a shift, but more of a continuum that goes back and forth. She cited literature that says that the influx of refugees can actually provide a positive impact to a host country by generating income and expanding the economy. The Lebanese economy wasn’t creating many jobs even before the Syrian crisis, and today the situation is worse she notes. She emphasized on the importance of multi-year planning and financing for ministries as essential as opposed to the humanitarian approach which is only year by year.
H.E. Yassine Jaber, Member of Parliament, Former Minister of Economy, Lebanon started off by saying that we have to look at the scenario as a whole, at both the economic and political situation. He stated that with the Syrian crisis, we also experienced a political crisis in Lebanon which included the freezing of political institutions and that the parliament is in a state of paralysis. He said that as parliament, they are currently unable to play the role they should be playing. He mentioned how some countries in Europe are complaining about receiving 20,000-30,000 displaced people and that they have much more stable economies and governments. In this sense, what does it say about the current situation in Lebanon he asks? He stated that Lebanon currently has 1.2-1.5 million Syrians who need assistance, if the situation prolongs there will be an additional 4 million Lebanese people who will also need assistance.
Tanya Chapuisat, UNICEF Representative, Lebanon started by saying that at no point in time has the UN or its Secretary General sought to insinuate that Lebanon should absorb this population of Syrian refugees. She emphasized that UNICEF aims to support all children and not just Syrian children. She stated that while taking a rights-based approach you have to provide the same opportunities and rights to all children whether refugees or not.
Dr. Saban Kardas, President, ORSAM (Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies), Turkey noted that Turkey has been in a better position to address the challenges than other host countries; however it was faced with a big challenge nonetheless. He mentioned that Turkish policy had to go through many adjustments, and while it may look good externally — inside is a different story. He continued to say that the initial welcoming environment and “open door policy” by Turkey contributed to the flow of refugees into the country and has encouraged many Syrians to come into Turkey. However, he adds that recently it has imposed stricter border policies on Syrian nationals. He stated that the first shock of the conflict has been absorbed, however there is still more to be done especially in regards to the developmental approach. He referred to a dilemma they are encountering which is making the refugees comfortable however not too comfortable where they become permanent residents. Another observation he mentioned was that the numbers of people coming into the country have stabilized, however on the Northern front the conflict is still ongoing which means that there could be future waves of refugees coming in. He also mentioned that Turkey has experienced a slightly positive economic and social impact because of its ability to absorb the shocks better than other countries and due to the larger size of the country. However, he adds that language barriers are much bigger than elsewhere which is not the case in Lebanon or in Jordan and this makes it harder to integrate Syrian children into their schools.
Day 2 – June 2, 2016
Opening Session
Dr. Antoine Haddad, CEO, HBC Consultancy Firm on Public Policy initiated the first session on the second day by welcoming all participants and attendees. He then introduced Dr. Tarek Mitri, Director, Issam Fares Institute, AUB, Lebanon.
Dr. Tarek Mitri started his speech by saying that a political solution in Syria is what will lead the Syrian refugees to return back to their country safely. Despite the refugees being a huge burden on Lebanon as a host country, he said that a large segment of the Lebanese population continue to assist and cooperate with them to their best ability. He stressed that a political solution for Syria requires more attention than is being given, disassociation means calling on the Lebanese, to a certain extent, to contribute to a political solution as well. A big barrier to reaching this type of solution is the failure to reach a ceasefire between various parties involved. He also discussed various humanitarian attempts to help the refugees such as the possible establishment of a no fly zone as proposed by Turkey or the establishment of safe or humanitarian zones. However, none of these solutions were implemented and the Syrians were left in the wind. Despite this, he states that the door is still not closed completely regarding the establishment of safe zones, which don’t require new military intervention and thus could still be implemented in the future.
Plenary Session 3 – Reconstruction of Syria: How does the Future Look Like?
H.E. Nassif Hitti, Ambassador, Head of Mission of the Arab League Mission in Paris moderated the first plenary session on the second day and initiated the discussion by introducing the first speaker in the session.
H.E. Raya Haffar Al Hassan, President, TSZE (Tripoli Special Economic Zone), Former Minister of Finance, Lebanon spoke about lessons learned from the Lebanon example that can be used in the case of Syria. The first lesson she mentioned was that it is never too early to start the reconstruction process, decision makers and experts have already started setting action plans to proceed with this process. She emphasized that the while lessons learned from Lebanon in terms of challenges faced and timeframes are very different, some lessons can still be shared and could be used in the Syria case. She outlined the fact that any reconstruction process should be accompanied by a comprehensive economic plan to be set for the long-term. This plan should tackle all the gaps in the economic system so as to be able to generate job opportunities in addition to engaging the private sector. The second lesson she mentioned is that the Syrian government should make efforts to attract investments through aid and soft loans. The third lesson is finding a mix between the respective roles of the private and public sectors that can help decrease public debts and accelerate the reconstruction process. The fourth lesson is the need to take into account all the social and civil factors so as to provide the Syrian people with basic services and particularly deal with poverty which is prevalent in the country. The fifth lesson is to work closely and cooperate with international organizations in order to avoid fragmentation and duplication of projects. A sixth lesson is we need to give a wide range of options for investors and donors as well as provide them with all flexibility needed. The final lesson she mentioned is the importance of establishing statistical infrastructures which will allow all social and economic studies to be based on scientific statistics that will accurately reflect the reality on the ground.
The second speaker Dr. Makram Sader, Secretary General, Lebanese Banks Association spoke about the importance of circulating currency in the banks of Syria. Another problem in Syria he also mentioned is the lack of remittances and money transfer, since 2011 until today the banking sector has witnessed a huge decrease in its deposits due to the decrease of exchange rates of the Syrian lira where 600 Syrian liras is now equivalent to 1 USD. The savings in Syrian banks has also decreased around 25% percent. He stressed that he hopes that with the return to Syrian markets, they will be accompanied by major companies and businessmen of Syria and continue to proceed together to reconstruct Syria together.
Khalid Abu-Ismail, Chief, Economic Development and Poverty Section, ESCWA stressed how we are witnessing the biggest human suffering since World War II with repercussions felt both regionally and internationally. This conflict has resulted in over $300 billion in total losses without even taking into account the huge loss of human life. He pointed out that the policies of targeting poverty and other social policies have not achieved anything significant thus far. He stressed that a policy that addresses poverty is essential when talking about setting future economic plans. The final point he made is the need to focus on industry and rebuilding the industrial sector.
Jihad Yazigi, Editor-in-Chief, Syria Report mentioned how when people look at the news in Syria they assume that everything is destroyed, but that is not the reality. There are many refineries that are still operating and those that are not operating are only not doing so because they don’t have sufficient gas not because they have been targeted. He stated that we must think about reconstruction in Syria with limited financial capabilities as we don’t know who will finance this reconstruction based on the outcome of the war. He continued to say that most of the natural resources of Syria are located in regions that are not under government control. He posed the question: Can there be reconstruction happening in the various regions of Syria without the presence of a central government? In this regard, he concluded by saying comprehensive reconstruction for the long-term will be facing many challenges however there is still hope it can be achieved.
Dr. Abdul Ilah Mikati, Chairman, Board of Trustees of Azm University, Lebanon stressed that repercussions of this conflict can be felt on all levels and all over the world. He spoke about the importance of remembering Tripoli and the essential rebuilding and reconstruction of Tripoli as well as in Syria. He added that in order for peace to prevail, the establishment of a safe zone in Syria under the United Nations, could provide a temporary solution and relieves the burden from neighboring countries. He also pointed out that we should consider Tripoli as a launching pad to rebuild Syria as it was always regarded as a geographical expansion of Syria. He concluded by talking about the various humanitarian efforts the Azm Foundation has conducted both before and after the war in Syria.
Expert Panel 3: Syria at War: Impact on Syrians and Neighboring Countries
Jihad Yazigi, Editor-in-Chief, Syria Report moderated the third expert panel and introduced the first speaker.
Denise Sumpf, Chief, Economic Governance and Planning Section, ESCWA presented a presentation on the impact of the Syria crisis on Lebanon . She stated that the economic losses due to the crisis in Syria have exceeded 7.5 billion since March 2011. Trade relations are also effected by the crisis and there is a circulated loss per Lebanese exporter to Syria in 2012 of approximately $90,000. Unemployment rates have also seen growth with an increasing proportion of youth affected.
Dr. Ferhat Pirincci, Academic Coordinator, Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM), Turkey spoke about the various initiatives currently taking place that have been successful in alleviating the suffering of Syrian refugees. A new institution was established in Turkey which deals with the needs of not only Syrians, but all foreigners in Turkey. He stated that only 0.03% of prisoners in Turkey are Syrian nationals in comparison to over 25% in Lebanese prisons. Quotas were set by the government for Syrians to work in Turkish cities which further helped alleviate the social impact of the crisis.
Dr. Fouad Fouad, MD and Assistant Professor, AUB, Aleppo University (Formerly) spoke about the health sector and healthcare in the framework of development. He said that even under the organization of ISIS there is an informal system of healthcare which exists. The humanitarian response system needs to take into consideration issues like the disease profiles that refugees carry and bring with them into Lebanon.
Khalid Abu-Ismail, Chief, Economic Development and Poverty Section, ESCWA presented a report conducted by ESCWA that addresses the root causes of the problem, the current situation including the various sectors (education and health) that have been affected by the crisis, and measures that have been taken by the international community to better address the issue. He concluded by speaking about steps for the way forward in Syria.
Expert Panel 4: Integration of Youth Programs in the Response Plans
Ziad Abdel Samad, Executive Director of the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) moderated the fourth expert panel and introduced the distinguished panelists. He inaugurated by stating that there is a whole Syrian generation that has been scattered for more than 5 years which has caused a huge gap in education and that this expert panel should come up with recommendations on launching specific youth programs for this marginalized group.
Umut Kumru, Specialist at the Disaster and Emergency Authority (AFAD) in Turkey gave a presentation on his organization’s work with Syrian refugees on Turkish territories. He stated that Turkey is using every means available to provide humanitarian support to Syrians and Syrians sheltered in protection centres run by the government benefit from various services. Camp management organization involves a Syrian governor and camp community manager who is elected by the Syrians in those centres in a democratic manner. The organization also has an Aid distribution system called (ADAS) which makes sure delivery of items go where they are most needed. According to the United Nations, Turkey has spent 10 US million dollars on providing aid to Syrian refugees on their grounds.
Dr. Rouba Mhaissen, Founder and Director of the Sawa Foundation (UK) and the Sawa for Development and Aid (Lebanon) stated that youth is a main component in finding a solution to Syria’s unforeseeable future and spoke about the hardships that Syrian youth face in Lebanon. She mentioned that before 2016, most non-governmental organizations did not receive grants to implement projects related to youth, specifically education. However, more attention was given to this after international reports were released exposing the hardships that these groups face and how majority of male youth are encouraged to join Jihadist groups to find legitimacy for their life elsewhere. Furthermore, she added that there must be a highlight on vocational training where youth are trained on different skills that they can employ in the future in order to live sustainably.
Dr. Fadi Daou, Chairman of Adyan Foundation highlighted the need to integrate youth programs in response plans and added that the reason that made youth carry arms in the first place is economic need and in the second place is the lack of educational opportunities with horizons. He stated that education is always addressed for those under the age of fifteen, however the needs of older age groups also need to be highlighted. These people will not be enablers to the society once the war ends because they did not have opportunities to pursue their education. Adyan Foundation’s core aim is rebuilding reconciliation and peace through good governance in the society, respecting the plurality and diversity of the society regarding all religions. He concluded by stating that Lebanon can be a platform for social and psychological security for those refugees and that the presence of refugees is a result of political and security difficulties hence the refugees should not be viewed as the problem or threat – they are the victims.
Background
The speed with which Syria disintegrated into extreme violence and armed conflict shocked the world and left the humanitarian aid regime in turmoil as agencies, governments and host communities struggled to respond to the growing displacement crisis inside Syria and on its borders. This crisis entered its sixth year with approximately 13.5 million Syrians affected, including six million children. At least 8.7 million people are unable to meet their daily food needs, while more than 70% of the population doesn’t have access to safe water. Five million are refugees in neighboring countries, mainly in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Due to the Syrian war, densely populated Lebanon has earned the burdensome reputation of being the country that hosts the highest number of refugees per capita. More recently, 0.5 million Syrians arrived in Europe entailing the most serious refugee crisis in Europe for decades and challenging the crucial Schengen Agreement of unconditional mobility among EU member states.
Slow to build up at the beginning, the international response to the crisis is now starting to get close to its due dimension. On 4 February 2016, an international conference in London co-sponsored by the UK, Germany, Kuwait, Norway and the United Nations managed to raise over US$ 11 billion in pledges – US$ 5.9 billion for 2016 per se and a further US$5.4 billion for 2017-20 to enable partners to plan ahead. This was against an initial appeal of US$ 9 billion for 2016. The London Conference announced later that on the longer term a package of US$ 40.8 billion of loans will be available for the Syria crisis response including US$ 1.6 billion on concessional terms. In term of pledges, this was an ample progress compared to previous years. In 2015, only US$ 3.9 billion were secured against an appeal of US$ 7.4 billion.Hopefully a higher rate of commitment by pledging donors will be achieved from now on.
The increase of interest and commitment from the international community in response to the Syrian crisis will be vocal again twice this year, first in the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May 2016, followed by the UN High Level Meeting on Refugees and Migrants at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next September.
Still there is much needed to meet this enormous challenge, especially at the operational and field levels, and in the areas of coordination, networking and division of tasks. It is important to avoid duplication of work among the various stakeholders such as UN agencies, donor countries, host countries, local governments, host communities, civil societies, local NGOs and INGOs, and the refugees themselves. Other important players, like the private sector, entrepreneurs and innovators, should be involved more efficiently, in order to benefit from Public Private Partnership (PPP) funding opportunities and the private sector’s know-how, as well as from the comparative advantages of innovators in providing creative and digital solutions to the refugee management issues.
It is very important as well to include the thoughts and opinions of the refugees themselves and the host communities to highlight their needs, challenges and aspirations, and include them in selecting best solutions to their problems. Moreover, it is necessary to improve the coordination between the host countries that face similar situations, like Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, especially in exchanging experiences, discussing solutions and exploring the relevance of setting up joint ventures in this field.
With the political process moving forward towards a peaceful solution for the crisis in Syria, from Vienna Conference to UNSC resolution 2254 and the recent Geneva talks, it has become relevant that the response to the crisis tackles not only the humanitarian and relief aspect, but also the root causes of the conflict and lasting solutions. This can be done by exploring the prospects of Syria’s reconstruction process, its needs, challenges and opportunities –for the Syrians as well as for the host countries’ manpower and business community– along with allowing a conclusive debate on the different points of view and positions regarding the repatriation of the refugees to their homes and towns or to “safe zones” inside Syria. The political, security and legal challenges associated with the repatriation need also to be addressed. This would contribute to alleviating the growing fear amongst host countries of having the refugees become a permanent burden, especially countries that have a delicate confessional balance like Lebanon.
This forum will take stock of all previous efforts in this regard, assess the current situation and explore the future scope of action from a domestic, regional, and international perspective, with emphasis on enhancing inclusiveness and participation, and creating synergy between all stakeholders.
OBJECTIVES
Seek a better understanding of the situation, its dynamics and updates, and the lessons learned from a 5-year protracted crisis.
Listen to the priorities and concerns of host governments and communities, as well as the refugees themselves, and involve all of them in the response process.
Cope efficiently with the needs and challenges of providing immediate humanitarian assistance and the mid-term support and social inclusion wanted.
Engage actors in discussions on the prospects and scenarios of Syria reconstruction and the repatriation of the Syrian refugees.
Increase synergy and efficiency through adopting creative solutions, engaging/mainstreaming all actors/stakeholders, and enhancing regional cooperation and exchange of knowledge and know-how.
Panel Sessions
Panel 1: The Humanitarian Response – Obstacles and Outlook, Lessons Learned
This session will assess, from a regional angle, the global response towards the Syrian humanitarian crisis, exploring what has already been done and what needs to be further done with regards to delivering and supporting programs related to food, safe drinking water, shelter, emergency, medical care and protection. The session will review the current aid schemes’ outcome, outline the challenges facing an effective crisis response and present recommendations to enhance coordination and create sustainability and prioritization in this area. It will also propose mechanisms for ensuring that the needs of crisis-affected populations are better incorporated in the response plans. It will also address better integration of relief and development efforts, and the need for host governments to deal with the situation as a long-term crisis that requires national coherent plans and strategies.
Panel 2: Impact of Refugees on Host Countries – What It Takes to Turn the Burden into Asset?
This session will highlight the heavy socio-economic impact of refugees on host countries, such as imposing further burdens on already struggling economies, crippling economic growth, soaring unemployment, and putting political strains on already fragile and conflict-affected countries. It will also discuss potential positive factors that this might bring along such as economic benefits and development potential. At the same time, the host community may benefit from assistance programs such as infrastructure and welfare services provided by agencies and international community responding to refugees’ needs, namely in education, vocational training, and productive employment.
Among the short-term and mid-term scenarios that will be discussed during this session will be the delicate challenge for host countries of ensuring the social inclusion of the refugees on a temporary win-win basis without allowing this to turn into a long-term integration or permanent resettlement of the refugees.
The session will discuss the economic models and schemes that make this synergy possible and sustainable, and the financial resources needed to kick off the process.
Panel 3: Reconstruction of Syria – How does the Future Look Like
The latest developments on the diplomatic arena and inside Syria require deeper thinking on the future of this country. The session will assess the reconstruction scenarios, goals, needs, components, requirements and opportunities. It will also address the timing of the reconstruction process in parallel with the political process and the reconciliation efforts, trying to benefit from the experience, successes and failures, of other models, especially countries that experienced civil wars or violent internal strives. What will be the role of the refugees in the reconstruction of Syria? How should they prepare for this in term of skills and capacities needed? What will be the role of the governments of host countries, and the opportunities for their labor force and their business community? What are the responsibilities of INGOs and NGOs in this regard?
Panel 4: Return / Repatriation Prospects and Conditions – Are “Safe Zones” a Solution?
This session will allow for an objective debate, reflecting the diverse positions on the conditions and requisites of refugees’ repatriation to Syria. It will examine the international law, standards and lessons learned in this regard, in line with the ongoing peace process. It will also highlight the key responsibility of the international community and the current hosting countries, and the crucial role they have to ensure that those who return home are able to rebuild their lives in a secure and stable environment. The session will also asses the feasibility and difficulties of establishing “safe zones” within the Syrian territory that could allow for the repatriation of a significant number of refugees. The need for an international mandate to establish such “safe zones” will also be discussed to explore legal, political and logistical issues associated with it.
With regard to the same objectives and standards, the session will explore the option of voluntary repatriation and reintegration in third countries (other than home and current host countries) and its validity.
Workshops
Expert Panel 1: Another Face to the Crisis: Child Protection and Maintaining Proper Education
A large portion of refugees’ youth lack quality education and training opportunities as with such great numbers, host countries are not able to accommodate everyone in formal and proper school systems. In addition to educational opportunities, refugee children certainly lack other basic social needs. Women, on the other hand, remain the sole providers for one in four Syrian refugee families, struggling to provide food and shelter for their children and often face harassment, humiliation, and isolation.
This expert panel will shed light on the adversities of these groups and participants will come up with recommendations and solutions to improve their conditions.
Expert Panel 2: Public-Private Partnerships to Multiply Capabilities
Addressing the refugee crisis should not only be on the top of the concerned governments’ agenda but also the private sector’s because businesses cannot thrive in societies impaired by social exclusion and the resulting instability. A refugee crisis of this magnitude requires solutions in which public policies are met by responsible business ventures, new business models, investments, innovation and creative technology. The opportunities looming with the peace process and the prospects of reconstruction are additional incentives in this regard.
This expert panel will highlight the significance of public-private partnerships (PPP) in dealing with the crisis and the reconstruction prospects, and showcasing examples of private companies that are leveraging innovation and changing their business models to serve new societal needs.
Expert Panel 3: War, Political Process and Impact on Population Movements: Where are the Syrians today?
This panel will discuss the development of the conflict in Syria, on the ground and on the political arena, the phases that this conflict went through, as well as its gradual transformation from a peaceful movement into a violent and military fighting, with local, regional and international intertwined dimensions.
The session will also explore the impact of these developments on civilians and on the population movements, forced or self-imposed, inside Syria or to neighboring countries or the rest of the World. It will discuss the patterns of these movements and the different statuses of the Syrian displaced and their distribution between permanent and temporary refugees.
Expert Panel 4: Integration of Youth programs in the response plans
This workshop aims at continuing the discussion about the integration of youth components in response plans. Building trust and understanding between the youth serve positively on the relationship between the refugees and the host communities. The workshop will also explore the possibility of combining efforts with youth organizations which have existing youth programs and expanding these programs to target a wider beneficiary group. It will also highlight the importance of youth work in the communities with the focus on countering violent extremism and encouraging youth engagement in shaping public policies within the humanitarian assistance and the development work. Moreover, the workshop will be a platform to share experiences on different innovative solutions that were led by youth or possibilities for new ideas.
Roundtables
Roundtable 1: Primary Healthcare and Reproductive Health
This specialized roundtable will tackle the healthcare sector and the medical services that the donor community is providing, with a focus on the reproductive health component. This component will address the idea of maintaining the family’s cohesion, and handling the children’s well-being and psychological balance that are directly affected by the interactions between the parents within the household. Moreover, the meeting will discuss the steps that should be taken to provide this support for the children and heads of households.
Roundtable 2: Ensuring Transparency in Humanitarian Assistance
The INGOs and the local NGOs faced many challenges in ensuring well-organized and transparent methodologies of providing the humanitarian assistance for the refugees. This was crucial to meet the needs of the beneficiaries in a just and fair way that follows SPHERE standards. This roundtable will tackle the different methodologies that the organizations and the government entities use to ensure transparency and fair provision of services. Moreover, the meeting will also focus on the way beneficiaries can be part of the decision making process and shaping the needs that should be met by donors and the international community.
Roundtable 3: Information-Sharing between Governments and International/National Agencies
This session will explore information-sharing as a critical component to improved inter-agency coordination during humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Governments and agencies’ ability to collect, analyze, disseminate and act on key information is fundamental to effective response. Important and beneficial information leading to improved response directly benefits affected populations and refugees of the Syrian crisis. Achieving interagency collaboration and setting parameters for information sharing has proven to be a challenge for both governments and organizations, but success in these areas can help ensure that refugees receive the support they need. Moreover, this roundtable will tackle the security and safety concerns of the refugees and the level of information sharing in the current situation.
Roundtable 4: Challenges for Establishing Self-Sustained Camps: Water, Energy and Sanitation
In the frame of the emergency and aid programs in Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan, a special attention must be given to the water, sanitation, and hygiene. This workshop aims at discussing the lessons learned from this sector and setting action points that might support the improvement of this sector by the INGOs, NGOs, the public sector, and the private sector. The energy component will be tackled through discussions on renewable energy and the opportunities present in this sector.
Roundtable 5: The Impact of New Technologies in Optimizing Humanitarian Assistance to Refugees
This roundtable will explore how vital tasks such as registering and delivering aid, food, healthcare, education and vocational training, often relies on an array of information and communications technology (ICT). Digital forms of aid and capacity building, such as biometric verification, tele-medicine, and smart device data collection, as well as remote teaching amongst many others, have long taken over the role of the typical aid/development worker.
The enormous impact of technology on humanitarian assistance and delivery will be discussed in depth and participants will be able to observe and experience a variety of these technological innovations firsthand.