In 2017, TSG established an “Arab-Kurdish Track”, bringing together various representatives of Arab and Kurdish communities from northeast Syria for dialogue designed to build trust and generate consensus on proposals for more inclusive, legitimate, and accountable governance in these areas, as part of efforts to prevent conflict and work towards reconciliation among local communities, while exploring ways to integrate them into a national-level political process.

In 2019, TSG also began convening a series of workshops focused on governance in northwest Syria. These discussions addressed the challenges related to building a more cohesive, legitimate and transparent governance structure that meets the needs of local communities and culminated in a series of recommendations to Syrian, Turkish and international actors.

In 2020, TSG established a Track II Forum in northeast Syria, where participants began to develop more detailed, implementable recommendations. By discussing specific issues of importance to communities, this Forum helped to build trust and foster collaboration between governance bodies and civil society actors, in order to address reforms and respond to local aspirations.

TSG’s work in northeast and northwest Syria evolved into the Northern Syria Stabilisation Project (NSSP), which was launched in 2022. The aim of the project was to provide a space for civil society actors and local community figures in both areas to collectively develop policy proposals and recommendations for improved governance and service delivery, that will help strengthen connectivity and maintain de-escalation between the two regions. Through cross-line connectivity between actors in the northeast and northwest, the NSSP has contributed to resilience and stabilisation in northern Syria. It has also contributed to slowing down – if not reversing – the current trend of continued, de facto partition, and laying the foundations for social reintegration, and broader and more inclusive dialogue in the future.

“We believe that Syrians of all creeds and backgrounds must be given the opportunity and space to come together and decide the future of their country”

While taking a bottom-up, community-rooted approach, TSG has always sought to ensure that the proposals and recommendations generated reach and are given proper consideration by key international and regional decision-makers. To this end we have consistently engaged – and provided opportunities for Syrian participants to meet directly with – officials from the United States, Russia, key European and regional players, and the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria.

The programme has had tangible and impactful results. It influenced the shape and inclusivity of the UN-led peace talks in Geneva, by working with the Syrian parties, the US, and Russia. It helped pave the way for formal-level talks between the rival Kurdish parties in northeast Syria, led by the US and France. It has directly contributed to concrete steps on de-escalation and internal reforms in northeast Syria, mitigating conflict with Turkey and addressing local tensions. In addition, the programme provided a space for open discussion of sensitive issues between local authorities and a wide spectrum of civil society voices. This dialogue helped identify clear gaps and initiate the implementation of reforms and confidence-building efforts on issues such as arbitrary detention, forced conscription, and judicial reform.

We are grateful for the support that the Syria Programme has received from the governments of Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, and from the European Union.