The Syrian Future Movement is closely following the measures taken by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, in cooperation with the Syrian Engineers Syndicate and under the auspices of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, which resulted in the launch of the “National System for Assessing Damage to Buildings and Engineering Structures After Disasters.” This launch took place during an event held on Sunday evening, May 10, 2026, at the Seven Gates Hotel in Damascus.
According to its organizers, the system aims to protect lives and property and enhance the quality of public safety decisions by standardizing assessment procedures, reducing discrepancies and individual interpretations, and linking assessment results to planning, repair, and reconstruction processes. It also aims to establish a national, updatable database to support the state’s strategic planning.
The Syrian Future Movement commends this system and considers it a necessary and fundamental step towards unifying operational mechanisms.
It also highly values this initiative, which puts an end to the practice of “individual interpretations” in assessing damaged buildings and establishes a clear technical framework for dealing with real estate.
The Syrian Future Movement, in its previous statement published on its official website, adopted and emphasized the need for “preparing reports to assess the damage caused by the war” (dated February 24-25, 2026). The Movement stressed that these reports should serve as a measurable tool for formulating plans and called for the establishment of a transparent national database. These recommendations preceded the announcement of the system by more than two months.
The Syrian Future Movement appreciates the accompanying implementation measures, investment incentives, and protection of marginalized groups. It also commends the comprehensive package of engineering and financial facilities announced by the Syndicate in conjunction with the launch, which aims to expedite rehabilitation processes and incentivize investors.
These facilities include discounts on fees for studies and engineering supervision for industrial and strategic projects, in addition to special discounts of up to 50% for people with disabilities and those affected by the war. This step achieves social justice and places those affected at the forefront of priorities.
The Syrian Future Movement also commends the government’s measures regarding tax exemptions for affected businesses and the plan to link assessment reports to a central digital platform, which represents a qualitative leap in automating the management of the reconstruction process.
The Syrian Future Movement draws attention to the challenges facing the implementation of the system and puts forward a set of recommendations to ensure its success.
The core of the concerns we previously raised regarding the biggest obstacle facing this system is the accumulated lack of public trust due to past assessment experiences marred by corruption and favoritism during the era of the ousted regime. Our recommendation was to establish impartial oversight committees with representation from civil society.
The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its call for subjecting the system’s operations to independent oversight, emphasizing the need to scrutinize its integrity and ensure it does not become a new tool for excluding the most affected groups.
We also warn that the absence of civil society organizations in the assessment process will perpetuate mistrust and hinder the achievement of the full transparency that the system seeks to provide.
Furthermore, the practical implementation of the system faces significant challenges on the ground, including weak digital infrastructure in remote and rural areas, difficulty accessing some affected areas due to security or logistical reasons, and the complexities of coordination among the various ministries and entities involved in the reconstruction process.
Therefore, the Syrian Future Movement proposes the following recommendations:
- Apply the system across all Syrian territory without exception: Ensure that assessments encompass all Syrian regions and governorates, regardless of the nature of the damage or geographical location.
- Provide intensive training programs for field personnel: Engineering teams must undergo comprehensive training programs on standardized work methodologies and how to use the digital platform to guarantee the accuracy and stability of data across all governorates.
- Establish a transparent mechanism for managing assessment data: Identify the entities responsible for managing the database, establish methods to protect it from hacking and manipulation, and guarantee the rights of those affected to access and appeal the assessment results of their properties through a clear legal mechanism.
- Establishing an independent national reconstruction fund: This fund should be managed with the participation of the government, representatives of civil society, and international partners (as per the previous statement that recommended it), to ensure that resources are allocated based on the results of assessments.
In conclusion: The Syrian Future Movement affirms that launching this system represents a promising beginning for a new phase of good governance in the reconstruction process.
The Syrian Future Movement will continue to closely monitor the mechanisms for implementing this system and the extent to which the relevant authorities adhere to transparency and inclusivity, in accordance with its unwavering vision of supporting the building of a new Syria on the foundations of rights and justice, where the future is not built on forgetting, but on solid foundations of trust, participation, and oversight.
