ILO Discusses National Recovery Priorities and Business Sector Challenges in Damascus

The Damascus Chamber of Industry and its Countryside hosted a workshop organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The workshop aimed to analyze and study how decent work deficits intersect with conflict drivers, social grievances, and opportunities for building social cohesion and social justice in Syria. Its ultimate goal is to design and implement a support program aligned with national recovery priorities, with the participation of employers' representatives from the federations of chambers of industry, commerce, agriculture, and tourism.{C}

The workshop was attended by Eng. Mohamed Ayman Al-Mawlawi (Secretary-General of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Industry and President of the Damascus Chamber of Industry and its Countryside) and Mr. Mohamed Anas Sabagh (ILO Country Coordinator for Syria). It was also attended by Mr. Iyad Betinjaneh and Eng. Wafaa Abu Labdeh, board members of the Damascus Chamber of Industry and its Countryside. This analysis is being conducted by a team from "SWISS PEACC" in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).{C}

The discussions focused on the current reality of the industrial sector, the prominent difficulties facing employers and workers, the role of employers in representing their organizations, and exploring sectors that can generate labor-intensive employment opportunities. Additionally, they discussed cooperation and dialogue mechanisms among employers, workers, and institutions, alongside proposed support priorities for the upcoming period.{C}

Employers' representatives summarized the challenges facing their businesses as follows: a shortage of skilled and technical labor, the ongoing impact of international sanctions on Syria, and local and global inflation that weakens purchasing power. They also highlighted rising production costs (especially energy carriers), social security fees, unstable labor in seasonal agriculture, and the lack of quality sorting and packaging mechanisms compliant with international standards, in addition to general economic instability.

Furthermore, participants emphasized the necessity of active employer participation in representing their organizations, joining legal discussion committees, and defending their interests to achieve economic growth. They also pointed out the high labor density in the textile, agro-industrial, and reconstruction sectors, stressing the need to focus on vocational training across all sectors, establish multiple training centers, bring in international experts to utilize their expertise, and support the participation of Syrian sectors in international exhibitions.

At the conclusion of the workshop, the ILO stated that the outcomes of these fruitful discussions will be taken into account in ongoing studies to design future support programs

21/5/2026