April 28 2024

An expanded SNC delegation headed by SNC President Dr. Bader Jamous is to take part in Brussels VIII Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region” which will be held on 30 April in the premises of the European Parliament in the Belgian capital.

The conference features a day of dialogue on Syrian political, legal and humanitarian issues in which the SNC and the Syrian civil society engages. In addition, there will be several side events and a dedicated cultural program on April 29.

The conference will be opened by the European Commissioner for Crisis Management – European General Director of Civil Protection and Humanitarian Assistance, Mr. Janez Lenarčič and the General Director of Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations at the European Commission, Mr. Gert Jan Koopman. 

Directly after the opening session, a roundtable would be  convened to discuss “ Implementation of UNSCR 2254: State of play and way forward” in which SNC President and Ms. Najat Rochdi, Deputy UN Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Ethan Goldrich, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the US Department of State, Mr. Stefan Schneck, Ambassador, Germany’s Special Envoy for Syria and Ms. Amera Malek, Member of the Civil Society Support Room (CSSR), General Director of MAUJ foundation participate. The session will be moderated by Mr. Alessio Cappellani, Head of Division for Middle East – Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, European External Action Service (EEAS).

Several representatives and envoys of European and other countries as well as high-profile UN officials and representatives of international, regional and civil society organizations will take part in the conference.

Dr. Jamous will be holding several meetings on the sidelines of the conference with international special envoys to Syria as well as European and US officials. Further, the SNC will hold a discussion session involving the SNC President and members as well as Syrian and European civil society organizations working on the Syrian issue as well as an expanded dialogue session with the Syrian community in Belgium to discuss many political issues related to Syria and Syrian community’s affairs.

The SNC will also organize a cultural evening on the sidelines of the conference. The event holds some political, cultural and artistic messages shedding light on the Syrian calamity and several issues which are of concern for the Syrian people including detention and enforced disappearance, national identity among other topics. The evening will feature Ornina Orchestra among others. 

Furthermore, the SNC will be holding a side event on “Safe and Neutral Environment in Syria” in collaboration with the Stabilization Support Unit in which several members will take part.

The conference, in its eighth edition, aims to mobilize vital funds to alleviate the crisis which Syrians suffer and meet the crucial needs of Syrians and their host communities in neighboring countries particularly Türkiye, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Iraq.

It also aims to listen to Syrian voices, in Syria, be it the political opposition, civil society or Syrian community, and mobilize European momentum to reaffirm the importance of finding a comprehensive and lasting political solution for the Syrian issue in line with UNSCR 2254.

The conference affirms the international community’s support for the Syrian people in their rightful legitimate demands and support for UN efforts in order to reach a negotiated political solution in Syria. 

The conference also features participation of several Syrian organizations and think tanks as well as advocacy groups from the Syrian civil society.

According to the conference agenda, mane side events will be held addressing the Syrian issue in depth. In addition, it features some cultural events held by some of those concerned with Syrian issues.

It is noteworthy that the European Union has been holding the Brussels Conference since 2017 in order to encourage European and other donors to pledge financial support for the Syrian people. Last year, Brussels VII Conference secured pledges of around 5.6 billion Euro for 2023 and beyond including more than 3.8 billion pledged by the European Union and its members states.