Representatives of governments and employer and worker organizations from Syria, Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt adopted a Framework for Regional Dialogue outlining shared priorities for inclusive labour market recovery in Syria and its neighbouring countries.
The agreement was reached at the close of the Regional Tripartite Forum on the Impact of Socio-Economic Developments on Labour Markets in Syria and Neighbouring Countries, convened by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Damascus under the patronage of Syria's Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MOSAL).
The Forum brought together high-level representatives from the Ministry, the ILO and the wider United Nations system, and from governments and worker and employer organizations from the region. The Forum addressed the profound labour market changes following Syria's political transition in December 2024, including the return of more than one million refugees and 1.8 million internally displaced people, and the corresponding effects on employment, migration and social protection systems across the region.
Through the outcome document, Forum Statement: Framework for Regional Dialogue, participating countries and social partners agreed to sustained cooperation in advancing decent work, social protection and regional labour mobility as integral parts of Syria's recovery and regional stability.
The Framework recognizes that Syria's reconstruction and the reintegration of returnees and local communities are essential to lasting recovery and peace. It calls for joint efforts to promote decent and productive employment for returnees, refugees and host communities; strengthen collaboration on skills development, qualifications recognition and fair labour mobility; expand access to rights-based social protection and explore portability of benefits across borders; and reinforce tripartite social dialogue and regional policy coherence to sustain inclusive labour markets.
Participants also agreed to explore, with ILO facilitation, the establishment of a regional strategy and light coordination mechanism to maintain dialogue, track progress and promote mutual learning. They recommended that the Regional Tripartite Forum be convened regularly in different host countries to review progress and address emerging labour market trends.
The discussions built on data showing that Syria's economy, though slowly recovering, remains 84 per cent below pre-2010 levels, with widespread informality and most Syrians living below the poverty line. Yet the easing of sanctions and renewed regional engagement have opened opportunities for reconstruction and cross-border investment. Labour demand is growing in construction, agriculture and services, while neighbouring countries face potential skills shortages as refugees return home.
The Forum opened with addresses by ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs and Labour in Syria Raghda Zaidan, and United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. Marianne Ward.
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"We are meeting at a defining moment for Syria and the region," said ILO Regional Director Ruba Jaradat. "More than a million Syrians have returned home seeking to rebuild their lives and their country amid profound economic and social change. These returns will reshape labour markets not only in Syria, but also across neighbouring countries. The ILO stands firmly with Syria and its neighbours to ensure that this transition generates decent jobs, social protection and fair opportunities for all. We will work jointly with our partners to link return with reconstruction, skills with jobs and recovery with rights."
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Deputy Minister Raghda Zaidan stressed the importance of the Forum for the entire region: "This Forum holds great importance as it brings together all countries of the region to discuss an issue that concerns everyone," she said. "With the developments that have taken place in Syria and their impact on neighbouring countries, it has become essential to strengthen communication among regional partners to reach common ground. The statement issued today is significant as it opens the door for future and sustained dialogue aimed at enhancing coordination on labour markets and the social and economic developments taking place across the region."
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"I was deeply impressed by this Tripartite Forum," said United Nations Coordinator Marianne Ward. "Nowhere else in the world have I seen neighbouring countries - brother and sister nations - come together to discuss joint labour-policy initiatives, and to explore designing policies that allow the movement of people in line with their own personal choices while also benefiting the wider economic system."
The Forum concluded that effective regional coordination is vital to manage the ongoing return of refugee returns and its impact on national labour markets across the region. Participants stressed that employment and decent work are not only economic goals but also foundations for peace and stability, echoing ILO Recommendation No. 205 on Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience.
The ILO's Programme of Support for Syria, developed in collaboration with national and international partners, is already addressing many of the labour market challenges in Syria by connecting jobs, social protection and rights at work. It includes the first pilot labour force survey since the conflict began, employment-intensive projects that have created thousands of workdays in Syria, and new initiatives to design a modern social protection system and strengthen labour inspection and occupational safety institutions.
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