This forum, jointly organised by GISR and Stimson Centre, follows the historic UN speech of Ahmad Al Sharaa, the first by a Syrian head of State in 60 years. It brought together senior officials from Syria’s new administration, regional diplomats, and international policy experts, primarily from the United States, to build further on the earlier two events on the optimal path for Syria to build its foundations to address the multifaceted political, security, economic, and social challenges besieging the country.

The discussions were structured into two primary sessions: the first, titled “Transition toward a sustainable democratic society,” focused on the political, security, and social challenges, and the second, titled “Meeting the challenges of a shattered Syrian economy,” focused on the economic challenges confronting the new Syrian administration. A prevailing theme was the recognition of the immense baggage inherited from the Assad regime, a cautious optimism about the ability of the new Syrian administration to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges, recognition of security threats from a belligerent Israel, Iran and ISIS and the necessity of inclusive governance, security sector integration and innovative economic strategies.