Decentralisation

A Potential Gateway to Solution in Syria

22 March, 2024 - This research examines decentralisation as a potential gateway to conflict solving in Syria and the constitutional guarantees required for its implementation. The Research reviews the reasons, challenges, opportunities, and implementation conditions of decentralisation on three levels: political participation, development, and community stability.

The Research results show the pivotal role of decentralisation as a solution in Syria. On the one hand, extreme centralisation has played a role in deepening the development gap and weakening political participation, which contributed to the outbreak of 2011 protests. On the other hand, decentralisation emerges as a tool to deal with the war effects, namely, to turn the wheel of development on again, recover the country’s unity, and address social injustices.

Role of the extreme centralisation in the crisis outburst

Historical causes:

- Concentrated resources and opportunities: Damascus and Aleppo, as historical centers of power and wealth, have taken the lion’s share of investments and public services, which exacerbated the economic, social, and development inequalities and negatively affected the development of other governorates, which were relative denied economic opportunities.

- Concentrated powers: the centralised system in Syria concentrated all powers in the hands of the central government, which weakened local administrations and reduced their ability to meet the needs of citizens.

- Urban-rural inequality and socioeconomic disparity between big and small cities: the gap between big cities and rural areas shows the unequally distributed services and opportunities, which fueled resentment and demands for reform.

- Weak people’s participation: lack of active channels for people’s participation in the political process reduces transparency and accountability, and enhances the feelings of exclusion.