The expert group meeting on protracted conflict dynamics and resilience in the Arab region was organized by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and held in Amman on 21 and 22 May 2015, in cooperation with the West Asia – North Africa Institute (WANA).
Participants from the academic world, the private sector, Governments, think tanks and the United Nations discussed the drivers, results of and responses to protracted conflict in the Arab region. They concluded that there were ways of building the resilience of communities caught up in protracted fighting, resolving conflicts through negotiation and power sharing, and preparing for a more peaceful future. The group argued for an interdisciplinary approach to programming and research and focused on the need to create employment for refugees and returnees, political power sharing, security sector reform, transitional justice and regional cooperation to address the spillover effects of conflict.