From 22 to 30 June, the European Union will be hosting the fourth Brussels Conference on “Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region” (#SyriaConf2020), co-chaired with the United Nations. This year the Conference will take place in a virtual format.

The Conference will be the main pledging event for Syrians and Syria’s neighbouring countries in 2020 and will also provide a unique platform for dialogue with civil society organisations from the region. The Conference started yesterday with the Days of Dialogue, will continue with side events throughout the week and will be concluded by a Ministerial meeting on 30 June.

22 and 23 June are devoted to the virtual Days of Dialogue, with four high-level panel discussions between civil society, Ministers and senior decision-makers from refugee-hosting countries, the EU, the United Nations and other international partners. Prior to this, extensive online consultations have taken place with civil society organisations from Syria, its refugee-hosting neighbours and the diaspora. The recommendations resulting from the online consultations and the panels will be conveyed to the Ministerial meeting on 30 June by a number of civil society rapporteurs from Syria and the region.

From 24 to 29 June, a number of side events hosted by EU Member States, partner countries, UN agencies and other international organisations will take place online.

On 30 June, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell will co-chair, together with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, the Ministerial segment of the Conference. Around 80 delegates from neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees, partner countries, EU Member States and international organisations will virtually gather to address key political, humanitarian and regional development aspects of the Syrian crisis. Political commitments and pledges will be made on this occasion.

A virtual exhibition “Voices from Syria and the region” is available online, with photos and video portraits shedding light on the lives of people affected by the Syria crisis and showing their extraordinary resilience and determination to carry on.

Audiovisual coverage will be available on EbS.

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Press release

Conference – agenda highlights

Days of Dialogue – Provisional programme

Side events – calendar

Exhibition “Voices from Syria and the region”