The Durable Solutions Platform (DSP) is a joint initiative of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Action Against Hunger (AAH), Oxfam and Save the Children.
The DSP is funded through the European Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP). Additional grants have been received from the Danish International Development Agency (Danida) and ECHO’s Enhanced Response Capacity (ERC) fund and Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Since its establishment in 2016, DSP has evolved organically tackling key emerging issues on Syrian displacement and has established itself as one of the prominent stakeholders on the topic through policy engagement in the region and beyond. DSP aims to continue consolidating its position as a go-to actor on durable solutions on the Syrian displacement. as well as to explore a roadmap for expansion to include other displaced populations.
DSP has been created due to the fact that situation in Syria remains volatile and displacement is becoming more protracted, and therefore it is essential to explore durable solutions for displaced Syrians including refugees, IDPs, returnees from abroad, and returnees from within the country.
DSP engages the humanitarian, development and policy communities in the region and beyond. They do this by developing research and by organizing conferences, trainings and seminars. Its mission is to be a coordination and information hub, acting as a catalyst to stimulate forward-thinking policy and programming on durable solutions.
The platform is regional in scope, assisting stakeholders, including displacement-affected communities, both inside Syria and in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iraq around the three options available for Syrians as follows
- Voluntary repatriation in safety and dignity
- Local integration in the region; and
- Resettlement to third countries.
DSP’s current strategy is articulated along four main pillars
- Applied Research on the three durable solutions for the Syrian refugees
- Advocacy and Policy Influencing based on evidence
- Uncovering opportunities and potential barriers for advocacy/policy influencing and programming
- Mobilization and support local civil society to engage on durable solutions at various levels. DSP has organised roundtable discussions on durable solutions and training sessions on the legal and policy frameworks for durable solutions.
- Support to operational organizations in order to orient program towards durable solutions
The knowledge creation by DSP is relevant for use by any individual or organization who is designing programs or conducting research related to displaced Syrians, and who wishes to ensure that a durable solutions lens is incorporated in their work. Target audience include Researchers, Program developers and Monitoring and evaluation specialists