UNDP Syria

UNDP's Specific Interventions in this Area

With the dawn of the new millennium, the Government of Syria initiated a modernization and reform programme. A basic tenet of this programme was that furthering the development of the Syrian economy and the success of any economic reform programme is contingent upon introducing comprehensive institutional and governance reforms. UNDP, as a key trusted development partner of the Government, provides support to these governance reform issues through policy advice and technical assistance.
 

1. Empowering Civil Society

UNDP supports national efforts to empower civil society organizations in Syria to become more engaged in the development, planning and implementation of public policies and programmes. In this regard, UNDP supports the establishment of the first National Platform of Cooperation for development-based NGOs in Syria.
 

2. Supporting Judicial Reforms 

UNDP supports the Government of Syria efforts for increased accountability of the judiciary towards the general public. Within this framework, UNDP supports efforts aimed at improving the administration of the judicial system and citizens’ access to justice, including through the simplification and modernizing judicial and administrative procedures, creating help desks and support clinics as well as automating case management within the court system, which are included in a demonstrative pilot project in Dara'a. 

3. Improving Local Governance Services

UNDP is assisting Syrian municipalities in developing internal service-oriented modernization plans, structures and information systems. Interventions focus on simplifying and optimizing administrative procedures at the municipal level, introducing alternative work methods and facilitating the dissemination information and sharing knowledge with citizens. 

4. Supporting Policy Formulation and Decision Making

In partnership with the People’s Assembly and with the aim of enhancing parliamentary capacities and performance, UNDP has established an E-Library at the Official Residence for Members of the Parliament and offered training courses to 75 MPs on communication skills, presentation skills, positive thinking and stress management.

5. Enhancing Aid Effectiveness and Coordination in Syria

Following Syria’s endorsement of the Paris Declaration in July 2007, UNDP is assisting the Government in scaling up development assistance and implementing the commitments of the Paris Declaration for increasing Aid Effectiveness and coordination. In this regard, UNDP supports the Government in putting in place aid management tools, as well as providing technical expertise for donor coordination. UNDP mainly focuses on enhancing the capacity of the State Planning Commission in its donor coordination catalytic role in view of increased aid flows to the country. 

6. Support to Media Reform

UNDP supports the Syrian Ministry of Information to reform the media sector through two main initiatives, the first targeting Syria Times newspaper- the only English language daily newspaper. UNDP is also supporting the establishment of a journalist network for mobilizing journalists to take an active role in socio-economic development reforms in the country, including targeted training for journalists on development issues.

7. Capacity Development for Foreign Service Staff in Syria

UNDP provides support the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop the national capacities of Foreign Service staff to meet Syria’s socio-economic reform plans, as stipulated in the 10th 5YP. In this regard, UNDP is helping in designing and implementing immediate capacity development programmes for the Syrian foreign diplomatic corps, as well as providing support to formulating the strategy for establishing the Syrian Institute for Diplomacy (SID). The project aims at supporting Syria to obtain optimal benefits from the growing multilateral development system, at the regional and global levels.


UNDP's ongoing projects in the area of Democratic Governance: