Support to the Syria Track II Dialogue Initiative

Results achieved as of the end of the project (March 2019) include: (1) five TSG’s Intra-Syrian Dialogues were organized which brought together a broad and representative spectrum of influential Syrian figures at the national level aiming to develop consensus on key issues and generate proposals that could positively influence the Track I/constitutional process. Subjects included; efforts to advance a constitutional process and wider stabilization initiatives driven by international players; (2) five Joint Track Meetings were conducted in which representatives of independent and loyalist constituencies from inside Syria to engaged with oppositionists and other Syrians based outside the country in a discreet and informal setting. These meetings have forum developed innovative proposals on advancing the political process and broadening consensus on those proposals; and (3) three Arab-Kurdish dialogue brought together Arabs and Kurdish members of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) to address reforms of their governance structures as a necessary step to ensure longer term stability in the region. Chief among Arab grievances are a lack of representation and a deficit in democratic practice. They called on the SDC to open up the space for civil society organizations (CSOs) and political parties/movements to practice freely and effectively without fear of arrest or reprisal. Participants on both sides agreed a list of criteria which could help inform the SDC and CSOs on best practice.