Under the patronage of H.E. the Minister of Local Administration and Environment Mr. Hilal Al Attrache.

Urban Development in Syria – Potentials and Challenges. 

Two-day launching conference for the UDP has started today the 10th of Dec 2007 in Damascus at Rida Saiid conference centre with the objectives of:

• Placing urban development in Syria into the context of the worldwide and regional urbanization process, and debate potentials, challenges and possible strategies; this should contribute to broadening local awareness and to fostering partnerships for cooperation. 
• Putting the UDP into the context of the urbanization process in Syria. This includes information about the structure of the program, the objectives and methods of capacity building, and the approach of result- and process-oriented planning and monitoring adopted by GTZ. 
• Shielding a spotlight on ongoing and planned Syrian and donor-supported interventions in the field of urban development, urban management and urban governance in Syria, and agree on mechanisms for coordination.