The European Union and the United Nations co-chaired the Brussels III Conference on "Supporting the future of Syria and the region". The Conference renewed the international community support to a lasting political solution to end the Syria crisis and addressed the most critical humanitarian and resilience issues affecting Syrians inside their country and refugees and their host communities in particular in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey...
The Conference succeeded in mobilising pledges totalling €8.3 billion for 2019-20 and beyond. Of the overall pledge, around two thirds come from the European Union which has contributed a total of €6.79 billion: €2.57 billion from the EU budget managed by the European Commission and €4.22 billion from EU Member States. High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini said: "Our goal remains the same: a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned political process, facilitated by the United Nations, to establish an inclusive and non-sectarian governance for a united Syria. This is what we are all trying to work for and this is also the main reason why we convened the Brussels Conference. All of us must use our leverage to relaunch the Geneva negotiations and put an end to the war in Syria. Freezing the conflict at its current stage is not a solution." Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Johannes Hahn said: “A whole generation that has no experience of what is ‘normal' still needs us. The EU, as the leading global donor for this crisis, will continue to support Syria's neighbours to strengthen resilience and their economies. We will step up investment in education, healthcare and regular employment so refugees become more self-reliant and can live in dignity and normality”. Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides added: "Inside Syria, the humanitarian situation remains a nightmare for millions of people. The EU is doing all it can to support our partners to deliver aid, but access remains a serious problem. We continue to call on all parties to allow lifesaving aid to reach people in need. We are committed to help the Syrian people for as long as it takes." The two “Days of Dialogue” were attended by hundreds of representatives of Syrian, regional, and international non-governmental and civil society organisations. Participants had the opportunity to exchange with the international community at the European Parliament. The final press release and the joint statement are available online.