GIZ Syria’s Post

Towards more open and effective public governance in Syria: 🏛️ Together with Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Syria وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين في الجمهورية العربية السورية and OECD Public Governance, we organised the workshop “Open and Effective Public Governance in Syria” in Damascus on 22 July. 🤝 The workshop brought together representatives from key Syrian ministries and government institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, the Ministry of Administrative Development, and the Ministry of Justice, alongside international experts from Italy, France, Estonia, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories. 🌍 The workshop aimed to strengthen public governance through transparent institutions, sound legislation, and meaningful engagement between government and society. It opened with remarks by Mr. Marcus Hicken, Chargé d’Affaires of the Federal Republic of Germany to Syria, who thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, including Mr. Qutaiba Kadish, for facilitating successful government consultations between Germany and Syria the previous week, in which governance was central to the discussions and to Germany’s interest in supporting Syria in the coming period. He also thanked the OECD for its partnership. Mr. Qutaiba Kadish, Director of the International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, welcomed participants and underscored that the meeting marks the launch of technical cooperation and lays the foundation for a long-term institutional partnership— one that supports the Syrian Government’s efforts to strengthen public institutions through specialised programmes and engagement with international expertise, and that aims to enhance the quality of legislation and build institutional capacity. He noted that the project initially focuses on cooperation with four ministries through tailored programmes, with an aspiration to progressively expand cooperation to all ministries, reaffirming the commitment to continued coordination. The workshop focused on two priorities to advance open, transparent, and effective governance: 1️⃣ Improving legislative drafting to strengthen transparency, legal certainty, and accountability 2️⃣ Fostering an enabling environment for civil society organisations to participate in policymaking and contribute to public service delivery The event underscored the shared commitment of Syrian institutions and international partners to governance reform through dialogue and cooperation. 💬 As a next step, the first capacity-building session on “Effective Law-Making and Legislative Drafting in Syria” will support participants through practical exercises on policy analysis and legislative policy notes. 📚 Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) #GIZ #GIZSyria #Syria #TeamGermany #TeamEurope #MadeWithGermany #partnership #GoodGovernance #BMZ