The ninth donors' conference was held in Brussels on March 17 and 18 under the title "Standing with Syria and Meeting Its Needs for a Successful Transition," attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shibani for the first time since the inaugural conference in 2017. The European Union and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to providing grants to Syria and the countries hosting Syrian refugees in the region, amounting to approximately 35% of the assistance requested by the United Nations. The Secretary-General recently stated that "funding for humanitarian intervention in Syria remains insufficient."

The Syrian people face numerous difficulties in securing their basic needs for food, water, electricity, and healthcare, which are linked to ongoing Western economic sanctions and administrative disarray that persists after the changes on December 8, 2024, hampering development and reconstruction efforts, and hindering the return of more than five million refugees. Undoubtedly, the conflict in and over Syria, throughout fourteen years of popular uprising, has led to the destruction of infrastructure, economic capabilities, and millions living in tents.

It is worth noting that last year's conference pledged €7.5 billion in the form of grants and loans, with the European Union committing to provide €2.12 billion over 2024 and 2025. However, the United States' suspension of its international aid during President Trump's administration jeopardized the commitments made at the conference, considering that America is the primary donor of international aid to Syria through the U.S. Agency for International Development, which supported vital sectors such as health and education through local partner organizations. This imposes on the transitional leadership a pressing need to work tirelessly to lift U.S. sanctions that impede the flow of aid and investments to Syria, despite the European Union's flexibility due to geographic proximity and its attempts to limit new waves of migration, as well as to facilitate the return of refugees who do not benefit the EU countries while retaining skilled individuals who have integrated into these countries. 

The existing tension between Europe and President Trump over his policies, particularly concerning Ukraine, could prompt Europe to reconsider its policies regarding Syria, pending the formulation of U.S. policy in the Middle East. We can sense this shift through the Paris Conference held last February, which came after the Jordan and Saudi Arabia conferences for early recovery, reflecting European interest in the success of the political transition process in Syria. The expectations of the Syrian foreign minister, who attended the conference, were significant as he called for "the lifting of sanctions primarily, as it is the basis for implementing everything else, whether it be repairing and developing infrastructure or improving the current status of services, salaries, electricity, water, schools, and hospitals, before moving on to the stage of reconstruction."

The European response in January was partial, with exemptions and suspensions of some sanctions that had been in place since 2011, as four public banks were removed from the sanctions list and limited transactions were conducted with the Syrian central bank. The European Union also lifted the ban on importing Syrian oil and exporting essential equipment for the energy sector, as well as allowing investment in the electricity sector. However, despite this partial lifting of sanctions by Europe, the continued U.S. sanctions remain the primary obstacle to investments and reconstruction efforts.

Despite commitments from around 20 Arab, regional, European, and international countries to assist in rebuilding Syria and protecting the transitional phase from security challenges and foreign interventions, they conditioned their support on "ensuring the success of the transitional phase within a Syrian-led mechanism that includes all components of Syrian society and combating all forms of terrorism and extremism." 

The European Union also emphasized at the Brussels conference the importance of mobilizing international support for "a comprehensive and peaceful transition and ensuring sustainable support for Syrians within Syria and in host communities in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, and Iraq." However, the outcomes did not meet the rhetoric, as the Union committed to providing €2.5 billion during 2025 and 2026, which reflects the EU's inability to compensate for the absence of U.S. support. Notably, the joint statement from the conference delivered a message to the transitional leadership, stating that "all actions in Syria will not be conducted through the Syrian transitional government but exclusively through UN relief agencies and NGOs," indicating their desire to test this leadership, especially after the random killings on the Syrian coast.

This prompted the Syrian foreign minister to pledge, in a joint press conference, "to make progress on transitional justice issues, combating terrorism, and involving all components of Syrian society, regardless of their sects and nationalities, in building the country's future." 

There is no doubt that Syria is in dire need of investments for reconstruction that far exceed the humanitarian aid, as economist Osama al-Qadi mentioned, and this matter hinges on lifting U.S. sanctions, particularly through the adoption of a discourse of common interests by the new Syrian leadership, aligning with international policies in the region.

By Abdullah Turkmani