Electoral and Political Processes Program

The Electoral and Political Processes (EPP) program promotes stability within communities in non-regime held areas of northeast Syria by improving relationships between Syrians and local governance actors through robust advocacy and consensus-building activities. EPP’s focus on inclusive participation ensures women, youth, and other marginalized groups play a key role in their communities.

Priorities

1. Advance the political process envisioned in UNSCR 2254, including influencing the constitutional framework to establish pre-conditions for reliable electoral processes, and ensuring processes are inclusive of women, ethnic, religious, and other minority groups.
2. Promote stability within communities recently liberated from ISIS by improving inclusive citizen-state relationships at the local level and building capacity of local governments to meet the needs of their populations.
3. Strengthen local grassroots organizations to engage with local government and develop analysis and insight on election processes and service delivery.
4. Strengthen women’s participation in local decision-making bodies.

Key Results

• The Syrian Negotiation Commission’s Election Technical Committee (ETC) developed 12 proposals on constitutional electoral principles.
• In coordination with 27 grassroots civil society organization partners, the project launched 11 locally-led advocacy campaigns that address the most pressing issues affecting their communities, from dealing with dignified return, better living conditions, and more effective integration and inclusion
• The project supported four Women Peace Circles in hosting dialogues in Raqqa, Qamishli, Tabqa and Derik.
• Supporting the reintegration of returnees from the Al Hol refugee camp through the establishment of legal clinics in Raqqa, consultations with women-headed households, and obtaining official approval from local authorities in Deir Ezzor, Tabqa, and Manbij to replicate the Legal Clinics.