Overview
On 27 April 2025, Advancing Civil Society - GLOCA held a physical dialogue session in Aleppo titled “Good Governance and the Role of Civil Society in Syria.” The session was facilitated by Wasim Alhaj and brought together 27 participants from civil society and public-interest backgrounds.

Session Focus
The session discussed the challenges and opportunities for promoting good governance in the Syrian context, with a focus on transparency, accountability, trust-building, and the role of civil society in supporting institutional reform and public participation.

Key Themes

• Good governance principles and their relevance to Syria’s current context.

• The role of civil society in promoting transparency, accountability, and trust.

• Syrians’ priorities in the next phase, particularly in security, justice, and services.

• Opportunities for technical cooperation with DCAF in capacity building and security sector governance.

• Regional experiences in security sector governance and their relevance to Syria.

• The role of women and youth in strengthening social trust and inclusive decision-making.

Impact
The dialogue created a direct space for exchange between Syrian civil society actors and DCAF, helping communicate local priorities and strengthen understanding of the Syrian context. It also highlighted the importance of grounding future governance support in real community needs and inclusive civic participation.

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