Workshop – Perspectives on the Safe Return of Syrian Refugees

The workshop, held on 5th September 2019, aimed at presenting the situation of the refugees in host countries as well the conditions inside Syria and whether those conditions permit a sustainable return. More importantly, the workshop presented a platform for Western countries to clarify their position on the return of the refugees.

Speakers included UK, USA and EU representatives as well as experts from the World Bank, UN-Habitat, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the Issam Al Fares Institute in Lebanon.

Please note the program with profiles below and media links.

[vc_tta_tabs>Concept Note

The UN security council resolution 2254 (2015) has stated the need to build conditions for the safe and voluntary return of refugees to Syria, yet how this will actually be implemented is unclear. There is much talk of safe zones and voluntary return, but all hinge on what assistance and protection the refugees might have access to and whether conditions are conducive to a return especially with regards to security and economic concerns.

The workshop seeks to discuss the diversity of perspectives on the issue of return and to determine the Western position with the aim to clarify understanding of existing policies and strategies and to consider potential pathways that will contribute towards security and stability

The specific objectives of the workshop are to:

Present an overview of the situation of the refugees in neighboring countries
Discuss the implications of safe return in the current politico-economic -security conditions.
Clarify understanding of the UN resolution and various policies on the safe return of the Syrian refugees.
Give an international overview of perspectives on policies and implementation plans adopted on the issue of return.

[/vc_tta_section>Click here to download the program.

[/vc_tta_section>Please find a link to two useful documents pertaining to speaker presentations below:

Haneen Sayed, Lead Social Protection, Jobs and Gender Specialist (Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Iran), Middle East and North Africa Region, The World Bank Group, Beirut, Lebanon

Soha Farouk, Program Officer, UN-Habitat Regional Office of Arab States (ROAS)

[/vc_tta_section>Video link

Press Release

Media Link

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