Background:

Official sources, in their treatment of this subject, would give lower estimates of poverty (around 10%), set against higher estimates offered by external sources (as high as 60%). Meanwhile, impartial experts provided estimates stating that poverty affects around 20% of the population in Syria. Then the results of the study launched by the United Nations Development Program in cooperation with the Syrian government between the years 1996 and 2004, which established a limit for the poverty estimates, was released. It announced that the rate of poverty is around 30% – this report proved all other estimates woefully inaccurate.

The ever-increasing poverty rate throughout the region and the inability of any administration to effectively deal with it is one of the reasons that fueled the Arab spring. Syria is no different in this regard, but there are unique characteristics in the phenomenon of poverty in Syria that requires special and immediate attention by any future transitional government. There were several state-led programs and policies enacted with the purposed of combating poverty. These programs were ineffective and implemented within a framework of deep-rooted corruption, lack of accountability, lack of transparency and lack of good governance measures. They were also unsuccessful in slowing down the increasing poverty levels in Syria. The new transitional government will have to deal with poverty without repeating previous attempts and with a serious paradigm shift away from the same old “reforms”.

Executive Summary:

The Syrian state enacted several plans and commissions to deal with poverty during the past ten years. These policies proved unsolvable primarily for a lack of a political will and the absence of good governance standards. Other reasons to the failure include contradictory policies, continuous shift of policies from dealing with the most poor to the less poor, as well as overlapping programs that end up canceling one another. The hope of the formation of a transitional government in Syria in the horizon necessitate a clear understanding of poverty and the complex set of solutions that have to work hand-in-hand within an effective new governance structure. Future policies should emphasize a multi-layered approach that includes partnerships with NGO’s, civil society associations, charity groups, as well as the private sector.

Policy Recommendations:

Policy recommendations in this paper revolve around three areas:

1- General Partnership-Oriented Proposals
- A governance system with the rule of law is needed to establish all of the legal, administrative and regulatory frameworks required to combat poverty.
- A State-Society-private sector alliance commission must develop partnerships to implement projects such as small-business loans, social security systems, targeted subsidies, employment rehabilitation, and vocational training.
- Partnership with religious endowments and charity groups to offset the existing imbalance in the distribution of wealth.

2- Government-Related Proposals
- Creating oversight and accountability panels that do not report to the political party nor to the state, but are part of a freely elected parliament or a partnership with civic society watchdogs.
- Projects that target poverty should concentrate not only on quick short term fixes but on long term sustainable development projects in both economic and human development spheres.
- Creating job opportunities by developing the infrastructure needed to sustain such jobs in the less developed and poorer regions.
- Long term investment in science education and vocational training of the population is highly needed for sustained development policy.
- A social protection package must be established to include retirement system similar to social security, a health care system, and a disability program.

3- Proposals for Civil Society and Private Sector Groups
- The rules governing religious endowments and charity organizations must be revamped to be effective and compatible with modern ideas that promote social justice outside the scope of the state.
- A broad national framework must be established comprising representatives of political groups and social bodies with the aim of fighting poverty.
- Relationships must be reinforced between the groups operating in the field of development and those combating poverty; benefit must be gained from the experience of the various groups in developing local strategies; regional and international partnerships, in particular by means of promoting a fair commercial system.
- Coordination must be conducted with the political, economic, social, cultural, and media groups to guarantee their support for the efforts and plans of the private and civil organizations.

Author’s Biography:

Fayez Sara is a writer and a journalist, who has been an active human rights advocate in Syria in the past two decades. He has written for numerous Arabic publications and is the founding member of the Committee for the Revival of the Civil Society. He is also a member of the Damascus Center for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization that “fosters a spirit of support and respect for the values & standards of human rights in Syria.” In January 2008, members of the State Security branch arrested Sara, along with other members of the opposition. There have been reports that Fayez Sara was tortured even though he suffers from a severe medical condition. Sarah, along with other arrested activists, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for “weakening national sentiment” and “spreading false or exaggerated news which would affect the morale of the country.”

About the Centre:

The Strategic Research and Communications Centre (SRCC) was founded in 2010 to provide high-quality research and media services to media outlets, government departments, academic institutions and research centers through research, information, analysis and commentary on Syria.

About Transitional Period Policy Research:

SRCC launched a research and policy-oriented program to revisit inter-related issues within transitional research field in order to be a primary resource for any new government, civic groups, and activists in Syria. The SRCC will convene the most important indigenous stakeholders to formulate policy recommendations and implementation strategies, serve as a platform for dialogue about competing approaches, and publish papers that lay plans for the impending transition of power in Syria. The new series will focus on several areas including economic development, legal reform, national reconciliation and transitional justice, energy policy, educational system reform, health system reform and foreign policy among others.