Job-rich investment must be at the heart of Syria’s recovery agenda

BRUSSELS (ILO News) - In an address to the Syria Partnership Coordination Forum, the ILO emphasized the importance of promoting job-rich investments as a cornerstone for inclusive and sustainable recovery.

Hosted by the European Commission, together with the Syrian Transitional Authorities, the Forum discussed Syria's recovery priorities and the importance of coordinated international efforts to support sustainable recovery, economic resilience, and social stability.

Maha Kattaa, Regional Chief Technical Advisor for PROSPECTS and Durable Solutions at the ILO Regional Office for Arab States, emphasized that job-rich investments are crucial to create economic opportunities, restore livelihoods, and support the conditions for safe, voluntary, and dignified return to Syria. "Recovery efforts must place people at the centre by investing in decent work, local economic development, and social inclusion," she said.

She also underscored the critical role of the private sector in driving job creation, fostering innovation, and contributing to sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

For the period 2026-2027, the EU has allocated a EUR 620 million package, blending socio-economic recovery programmes with vital humanitarian aid to deliver tangible progress where it is needed most.

The ILO is implementing the EU-funded Durable Solutions Programme in Syria, in partnership with UNHCR and IOM, to support safe, voluntary, and dignified return through employment promotion, livelihood opportunities, and social protection and cohesion initiatives.

The PROSPECTS partnership which is funded by the Netherlands also brings together the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the ILO, UNHCR, UNICEF and the World Bank to improve access to education, social protection and decent work for forcibly displaced people, including Syrians, and the communities that host them.

Following the Forum, Kattaa highlighted the ILO's work in Syria at a debriefing organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of Belgium on the evolving situation in Syria. Participants exchanged perspectives on current developments, recovery challenges, and opportunities for international engagement and cooperation, and highlighted the humanitarian, development, and peace nexus.

"Social dialogue and collaboration remain essential to supporting a more stable, inclusive, and hopeful future for Syria and its people," she concluded. The ILO stands ready to support these efforts.