Since 2011, the regime of Bashar al-Assad and its continued war against the Syrian people to maintain power have driven Syria and its people to the brink of collapse on all fronts. 

This reality prompted the European Union in 2017 to organize the "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region" conference series to encourage donor pledges. These conferences have included representatives from governments, international and regional organizations, and civil society groups. 

Notably, Russia was not invited to last year’s conference due to its invasion of Ukraine.

Brussels I, held on April 4–5, 2017, resulted in donor pledges of €5.6 billion in immediate aid and €3.47 billion for the 2018–2020 period.
Brussels II, convened on April 24–25, 2018, generated €3.5 billion in pledges.

Brussels III, held from March 12–14, 2019, saw pledges of €6.2 billion for 2019 and €2.4 billion for 2020 and beyond.
Brussels IV recorded €6.9 billion (approximately \$7.7 billion) in pledges, with €4.9 billion allocated for 2020.

Brussels V, co-chaired by the EU and the United Nations, resulted in pledges of €5.3 billion for 2021 and beyond.

Brussels VI saw nearly €6.4 billion pledged for 2022 and beyond, including €4.8 billion from the EU—€3.1 billion from the European Commission and €1.7 billion from EU member states.

Brussels VII produced a total of €9.6 billion in grants and loans for the Syrian people and host countries, including €5.6 billion for 2023 and beyond, with €3.8 billion pledged by the EU and its member states.

The EU reaffirmed its commitment to mobilizing all available tools to support a negotiated political solution aligned with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and to help create conditions for a better future for all Syrians.

Undoubtedly, this donor generosity represents an essential first step in providing aid, material support, and political empowerment for the Syrian people toward a comprehensive solution in line with UN Resolution 2254. 
It is a pathway toward intra-Syrian consensus that can end suffering and allow Syrians to return to their homes.

Therefore, we hope that Brussels VIII will not only achieve its objectives but also become a true partner to the Syrian people, beyond just providing aid. 

We summarize our aspirations for this phase as follows:

1. Ensuring the continued flow of financial support to meet Syrians’ urgent needs, especially basic necessities. 

We emphasize the need to prevent the Syrian regime—or any of its hidden gateways or proxies—from benefiting from this aid. 

Official reports indicate that more than one-third of the financial aid entering Syria is seized by the regime through well-known schemes.

We are ready to cooperate with relevant parties—based on our experience and knowledge—to prevent the regime from diverting or exploiting this support.

2. Linking financial aid with a political solution through the UN-led negotiation table. It is vital to thwart Russia’s plan to engineer a “neutral safe environment” that bypasses the UN framework and replaces it with a Russia-led process. 

We are concerned that the international community’s political disengagement might force Syrians to surrender to Russia’s will.

3. The international community still has a significant opportunity to prevent Russia from dominating Syria. 

With sufficient pressure, the regime and opposition could be compelled to accept a viable political solution. 

We are actively working with our partners in the U.S. and other nations, and we expect to announce tangible developments soon that we will share with our people.

4. Deepening cooperation with Syrian civil society and key UN agencies is essential. 

This dialogue must not be interrupted. 

As we maintain a presence inside Syria with a growing popular base, we seek further coordination with the UN. 

We encourage visits to our local offices and activities, and we aim to serve as a genuine bridge between civil society actors and the UN system.

5. Ensuring accountability for war crimes committed in Syria, preventing impunity, and monitoring the assets of those responsible and how those assets are managed.

6. Brussels conferences serve as a "beacon of hope" for Syrians. 
We urge you to safeguard and build upon this beacon, as it embodies Syrians’ yearning for peace, dignity, and stability.

7. Countering extremist ideologies requires more than military strength. Intellectual tools are the most effective way to confront and dismantle extremist narratives. 

Our work focuses on children, adolescents, and youth. We ask for support in our long-standing education project aimed at combating extremism. 

We prioritize orphaned and out-of-school children, offering educational and psychological care to prevent their exploitation by extremist networks. 

This serves both Syrian interests and broader international security.

8. Addressing widespread patriarchy in Syrian society—which stems from social, political, and religious factors—requires a soft, non-confrontational approach. 

We advocate for carefully designed educational programs promoting gender equality. We welcome cooperation with agencies focused on gender issues and are open to any collaboration that supports our shared humanitarian objectives and the well-being of the Syrian people.

Conclusion:

Our worldview is not based on ideological polarity but on the distinction between the international system grounded in human rights and regimes of evil that seek to perpetuate religious, authoritarian, and historical conflicts at the expense of human progress.

We firmly believe in our role in supporting the global system founded on human rights. Every effort—no matter how small—helps tighten the noose on the forces of tyranny and backwardness. 

The international community must act as one cohesive front, just as regimes of evil support each other. 

We must leave no step unaccompanied by guidance and support.

While we ask for planning assistance, consultation, and funding, we also offer everything we have to uphold human rights in Syria—first and foremost—to protect international peace and security from collapse under the weight of evil and regression.