The Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity (SACD) interviewed Dr. Abdul Hamid Al-Awak, to further elaborate on the concept of a safe environment and the roadmap to achieve it. Dr Awak explained the meaning of a neutral environment, saying, “Neutrality means the commitment of the Syrian state and the other parties in conflict with it to deal with refugees, displaced persons, and returnees to Syria.” “And those who reside on its lands and have not left it under the law, the provisions of the law, and the principles of justice.” He pointed to the position of SACD on implementing a safe environment, “SACD’s position on a safe environment is based on a legal position and from the legal position proceeds to the practical case.” 

The intractable and uniquely destructive nature of the Syrian conflict is well-known. A safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees has been repeatedly stressed as a crucial component of any sustainable solution to the crisis. Yet the details of the safe environment required for this to happen and how the Syrian people themselves would define the concept have never been seriously discussed in the Syrian political process. 

Moreover, the first panel session of the Geneva conference, “Roadmap to a Safe Environment in Syria” zeroed in on the specific issue of the safe environment being an urgent policy question central to SACD’s document Roadmap for a Safe Environment in Syria. 

Although a safe and voluntary return of Syrians is generally agreed upon as a key component of a wider settlement of the conflict, SACD is the first organization to conduct a wide-ranging study into how Syrians themselves would define the concept of a ‘safe environment. 

The second panel session, “Safe and Dignified Return to Syria” of the Geneva conference, focused on the concrete steps that Syrians have, through the SACD’s report, identified as necessary for the existence of a ‘safe environment’ and how such conditions can be realized. It also discussed the practical challenges faced by Syrians who have already had to return for different reasons and the potential challenges that would face a premature return. It was also a rare opportunity for Syrians to engage in a public and transparent exchange with representatives of UNHCR. 

In the closing statement, Dr Talal Sunbulli asserted that “The message of this conference is clear: Safe, voluntary, and dignified return that achieves justice and sustainable peace the safe and neutral environment referred to in the context of UN resolution 2254 of displaced Syrians is the foundation of any sustainable solution for the Syrian crisis.”