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News of the establishment of the Early Recovery Fund in Syria has emerged in recent months as a pressing necessity to address the worsening situation in Syria
However, there is clear confusion between the objectives of early recovery and reconstruction and their relation to the political process. Many informed Syrians fear that the fund’s goal might be to circumvent the stalled political process and focus on reconstruction, which is contingent upon the initiation of a political solution in Syria, in accordance with international resolutions.
Experts believe that the purpose of early recovery is to enhance local communities’ resilience, improve governance, and strengthen relations between the community, organizations, and local authorities. On the other hand, reconstruction focuses on state-building (institutions) and peacebuilding.
Given the necessity of early recovery in Syria, it is crucial to guarantee the fund’s neutrality if implemented, ensuring equal opportunities for distributing programs and projects across Syrian regions. This distribution should align with the specific needs and early recovery requirements of each geographic area, reflecting the core philosophy of early recovery.
We can say that the Syrian opposition stance is divided into:
- Those who oppose the fund and view it as an attempt to bypass the political process and pave the way for reconstruction without conditions.
- Those who support the fund on the condition that fair distribution, shared management, and national strategies in areas like education and health are ensured.
- Organizations and groups willing to work with the fund, including those open to setting up licensed offices in Damascus.
To view the full briefing prepared by the Wathiqoon team, click here.
In the face of these challenges, we call on all Syrians, both men and women, to support early recovery efforts that are free from discrimination and politicization, and to focus on some key conditions in the operational framework of the fund:
- Active participation of Syrian actors in the fund’s management, administratively and technically, to ensure proper representation, with governance principles of participation, transparency, and accountability in place.
- Flexibility to amend the strategy’s core components in line with the needs and requirements of different areas across Syria.
- Defined decision-making mechanisms that align with the principle of shared decision-making, ensuring no single entity holds final authority. Decisions within the SSG must be democratic, rather than dictated by the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdel-Moula.
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