ILAC Syria Programme 2017-2020

The previous ILAC Syria programme, which ended in December 2016, was conceived as a lifeline project to protect and nurture the actors in the Syrian justice sector who act as positive forces, working to promote human rights and democracy in Syria. This proposed Programme will to some extent follow the same rationale. As such, it serves two distinct but interconnected and overarching purposes: First, the Programme is aimed at Syrian legal professionals who work to uphold Syrian law and promote human rights inside Syria by building their ability to perform basic duties and who have begun re-establishing basic justice sector structures in conflict affected areas; second, the Programme strives to identify key challenges in the justice sector that have arisen as a result of the conflict, or that will be the most urgent to deal with once peace sets in, and help Syrian legal professionals in their efforts to mitigate or minimise those effects. The Programme will work to support those Syrian judges and lawyers that have been forced to leave Syria or who remain inside Syria in areas outside government control after speaking out against injustices or for human rights in their country. They represent an invaluable asset to anyone hoping to work towards rule of law and respect for human rights in Syria in the long term, and to meeting the needs of the Syrian people for basic services and preventing extremists from filling the justice vacuum left behind by the government in the immediate term. After five years of war, the lack of basic justice sector structures in areas outside government control is taking a toll on the population. Syrian lawyers and judges in these areas play a crucial role as providers of legal expertise and administrative functions within these areas. Civil documentation centres have the direct function of offering fundamental services relating to personal status of individuals, and by their mere presence have also contributed to stability in the justice sector in areas where they are located. Legal professionals employed at the centres have been able to use them as a platform to think of new ways to support the population and offer other services in parallel. Programme Objective 1: Syrian legal professionals are able to perform basic duties and have begun re-establishing basic justice sector structures in conflict affected areas. Programme Objective 2: Syrian legal professionals are supported to mitigate or minimise negative effects of key crosscutting challenges in the justice sector resulting from the conflict or the most urgent to deal with once peace sets in. The programme is structured around the three following interrelated result areas: 1. Operation of documentation centres. 2. Support to the development of Syrian structures for legal education and the administration of justice. 3. Strengthened capacities among Syrian justice sector actors.