Damascus, (SANA) – The First International Conference of Development in Syria, held by the Syria Trust for Development under the title "Emerging Role of Civil Society in Development," was concluded on Sunday with a session on integrating the civil society in Syria attended by Mrs. Asmaa al-Assad.

The session discussed the possibility of the civil society's participation in institutional development and its future tasks in drawing policies.

During the session, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdullah al-Dardari stressed the importance of the integration of roles among the government, the private sector and the civil society in order to draw policies that will activate the role of civil society in the development process.

In turn, researcher from the American University of Beirut (AUB) Rami Khouri underlined the need for developing the civil society in Arab countries, stressing its importance in improving the quality of education, defending the rights of women and defending developmental policies.

For his part, Dean of Dubai School of Government Tarek Yousef pointed out to the possibility of the civil society's participation in institutional development issues, noting that Syria is the only country in the Arab world that is supporting the issue of civil society on the highest level, which will pave the way for civil organizations to play a bugger role in development.

In turn, Ziad Abdulsamad of the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) reviewed the possible roles civil society can play to bolster its participation in development, calling for focusing on the organizational level of institutions, proper management, the level of civil participation, and the surrounding work environment.

For her part, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Syria Zeina Ali Ahmad noted that the civil society's effect on government policies is still limited in Arab countries, affirming the importance of civil organizations in bolstering cooperation with international networks.

In a press conference, Executive Director of the Syria Trust for Development Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj said the Conference achieved its goals, particularly the exchange of expertise and building the capabilities of civil society institutes, adding that the Conference forms the foundation for partnerships among local and Arab civil organizations and that it showed the promising future of the civil society in Syria.

The sessions of the second day of the Conference discussed various issues including strategic planning of civil society organization, civil society and urban planning, supporting the initiatives of social society organizations by the business sector, reviewing societies' projects, techniques of youth participation, the role of heritage in development, and the concept of development in the social market economy.

A special workshop was held on the sideline of the Conference, discussing the role of media in development, the concept of comprehensive development, emphasizing the role of developmental sectors, the relationship between media and the governmental and private sectors, and how to establish a new relation among media, the business sector and the civil society.

Participants Say the Conference Formed a Starting Point towards Integration of Joint Developmental Action

Participants in the First International Conference of Development in Syria affirmed its importance as it represents a starting point towards integration of joint developmental action among various governmental and civil sectors to confront future challenges.

In a statement to SANA, Victor Karunan of UNICEF said the participation of governmental and civil sectors in the Conference allows each side to learn about the other's capabilities, experiences and success in development and how to benefit from that success and build upon it.

In a similar statement, Director of the Arab Regional Office of the Open Society Institute Gregor Meiering said the Conference is a starting point for further diversity, autonomy and multiplicity in civil societies in light of the support provided by governmental and semi-governmental authorities to civil initiatives in Syria.

He also noted that his organization is working with the Syria Trust for Development to organize youth debate club, and that the Institute's participation in the Conference aims at exploring the possibility of deeper future cooperation with the Trust and civil society organizations.

For his part, Dutch expert from the GTZ (German Technical Cooperation Agency) George Hartman underlined the importance of holding the conference in Syria, saying that exchanging expertise among local and international civil society organizations is important. He also lauded Syria's steps in that regard, such as cooperating with the GTZ.

In turn, Resident Representatives of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Ismail Weld al-Sheikh Ahmed noted that the UNDP participates in several of the Syria Trust for Development's projects.

He considered the Conference to be an indicator of the integration of the government sectors and civil society in the development process, stressing the importance of the work papers that were discussed during the Conference and the workshops that dealt with vital issues.

H. Sabbagh