With the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime late last year, international organizations now have a rare opportunity to engage with Syrian authorities in ways that meaningfully benefit both the country and its people. Rebuilding trust in the UN and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) is essential to this process. After 14 years of war, Syrians remain deeply sceptical—especially of the United Nations, which has faced harsh criticism for failing to act in times of heightened crisis or to hold perpetrators accountable. The international community can build a better relationship with Syrians and support the country’s post-war phase by coordinating recovery efforts, communicating with local communities and rebuilding public trust in their work.
Coordinate recovery efforts & securing finances
Syria’s caretaker authorities now have an opportunity to facilitate recovery efforts and can begin by establishing a joint Syrian-led body for recovery and reconstruction projects. Meanwhile, international organizations must strengthen communication between civil society institutions and country funders, while also mobilizing and advocating for measures that would mitigate the impact of sanctions on international projects.
A major obstacle remains, however: foreign financial institutions remain hesitant to engage with any Syrian entities—sanctioned or not—worsening the cost-of-living crisis and further eroding Syrians’ purchasing power. In addition to the gradual lifting of sanctions, ETANA recommends that experts from Syria’s banking sector and their foreign counterparts engage through a series of workshops to mitigate the risk of over-compliance with sanctions, which in some cases have recently been suspended.
Improve INGO performance
With Assad gone, INGOs now have greater access to Syria than at any point in over a decade. As organizations announce mass hirings in Damascus, they must seize this opportunity to enhance their performance and prioritize direct collaboration with Syrians to ensure meaningful outcomes. Syria urgently needs international financial and technical support. NGOs can take the lead by initiating dialogues with donor states while also engaging local communities at every stage of project planning, implementation, and evaluation. As always, there is a risk of donor states’ agendas superseding local needs, something that can be mitigated by the establishment of independent monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. These would also be key to ensuring transparency in tender and procurement processes.
Rebuilding trust in the UN
INGOs and UN agencies have crucial roles to play in Syria’s economic recovery, but have struggled with poor performance and reputational issues due to their strong relations with the Assad regime, thereby impacting trust in their capacity. For instance, in 2022, an investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed that the UN had paid out approximately $137 million to Syrian companies with links to regime warlords, war profiteers and other sanctioned individuals. However, the UN has the greatest capacity to drive meaningful change—provided its agencies work directly with Syrians. Local engagement at every stage of recovery efforts is not just beneficial; it is essential to rebuilding trust and ensuring effective aid. Immediate work can begin with coordinating recovery and reconstruction efforts and building communication between civil society institutions and donor states.
