,,ii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #fag ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #ai1 #bjac ,mr4 ,casey 7for himself and ,mr4 ,rubio7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to provide humanitarian assistance and support a democratic transition in ,syria1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,syria ,democratic ,transition ,act of #bjac4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,in ,march #bjaa1 peaceful demonstrations in ,syria began against the authoritarian rule of ,bashar al-,assad4 ,the regime responded with terrible violence against the citizens of ,syria1 including the use of weapons of war1 torture1 extrajudicial killings1 arbitrary executions1 sexual violence1 and interference with access to medical treatment4 7#b7 ,in ,december #bjaa1 the ,government of ,syria agreed to allow an ,arab ,league observer group into the country to assess the humanitarian and political situation on the ground4 ,however1 on ,january #bh1 #bjab1 the ,league officially ended its observer mission1 citing escalating violence and the intransigence of the ,assad regime4 7#c7 ,in ,february #bjab1 the group ,friends of the ,syrian ,people met in ,tunis and issued a declaration demanding1 among other things1 that the ,syrian regime allow free and unimpeded access by the ,united ,nations and humanitarian agencies to carry out a full assessment of needs4 7#d7 ,on ,march #af1 #bjab1 ,united ,nations and ,league of ,arab ,states ,special ,envoy ,kofi ,annan presented a six-point peace plan for ,syria that called on the ,government of ,syria to1 among other things-- 7,a7 commit to stop the fighting and urgently achieve a ,united ,nations-supervised cessation of violence2 7,b7 cease military activity in and around civilian population centers2 7,c7 work with the ,envoy in an inclusive ,syrian-led political process2 7,d7 ensure timely provision of humanitarian assistance2 7,e7 release arbitrarily detained persons2 7,f7 ensure freedom of movement for journalists2 and 7,g7 respect freedom of association and the right to demonstrate peacefully4 7#e7 ,as of ,february #bjac1 the ,united ,nations estimated that nearly #gj1jjj people have been killed as a result of the violence in ,syria4 7#f7 ,as a result of the violence1 the ,united ,nations estimates that #d1jjj1jjj people are in need of humanitarian assistance1 including access to food1 water1 shelter1 and medical care3 the ,syrian ,arab ,red ,crescent estimates that1 more than #b1ejj1jjj are internally displaced in ,syria4 ,basic services such as health care1 education1 electricity1 and water have also been cut off in some parts of the country4 7#g7 ,syria faces growing food insecurity1 as wheat harvests have declined due to drought4 ,the ,united ,nations has been providing food aid to #a1ejj1jjj ,syrians since ,september #bjab1 with the number of people requiring such aid expected to reach #b1ejj1jjj people in the months following ,february #bjac4 7#h7 ,millions of ,syrians have fled their homes due to escalating violence4 ,according to the ,united ,nations1 there are more than #a1jjj1jjj ,syrian refugees registered in ,lebanon1 ,turkey1 ,jordan1 ,egypt1 and ,iraq1 and even more who are unregistered4 ,also according to the ,syrian ,arab ,red ,crescent1 more than #b1ejj1jjj ,syrians are displaced within the country4 ,more than three-quarters of refugees and internally displaced persons are women and children1 who are particularly vulnerable to economic and physical insecurity4 7#i7 ,in ,january #bjac1 a donor pledging conference was held in ,kuwait1 pledging an additional #a1ejj1jjj1jjj in humanitarian assistance to the existing #a1jjj1jjj1jjj already provided for ,syria4 ,the ,governments of ,kuwait1 ,saudi ,arabia1 and the ,united ,arab ,emirates each pledged #cjj1jjj1jjj4 ,kuwait's ambassador to the ,european ,union called it the largest humanitarian pledging conference in the history of the ,united ,nations4 ,according to the ,united ,nations1 only #ac percent of the #a1ejj1jjj1jjj pledged in ,kuwait has been received to date4 7#aj7 ,challenges exist to ensure this assistance reaches those who need it4 ,an agreement between the ,united ,nations and the ,syrian regime to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the country has allowed aid workers greater access to victims of the conflict4 ,however1 staff of the ,international ,committee of the ,red ,cross and the ,syrian ,arab ,red ,crescent cite security concerns as a major obstacle to aid distribution4 ,the ,government of ,syria is also refusing to grant visas for aid workers from countries that have criticized the regime1 including the ,united ,states1 ,canada1 the ,united ,kingdom1 and ,france4 7#aa7 ,amnesty ,international's #bjab ,annual ,report on ,syria1 along with the findings of other human rights groups1 details a number of atrocities in ,syria4 ,in ,november #bjab1 the ,united ,nations ,human ,rights ,council's ,independent ,international ,commission of ,inquiry indicated that ,syria's military forces have employed killings1 torture1 rape and other forms of sexual violence1 imprisonment1 or other forms of severe deprivation of liberty and enforced disappearances to maintain their hold on the country4 ,human ,rights ,watch raises concerns that authorities in ,syria could choose to kill detainees rather than allow them to be released in the event of a political transition4 7#ab7 ,as of ,march #bjac1 according to the ,department of ,state1 the ,united ,states ,government has provided nearly #che1jjj1jjj in humanitarian assistance to support those affected by the violence in ,syria4 ,on ,february #bh1 #bjac1 the ,united ,states ,government announced its plans to provide an additional #fc1jjj1jjj in non-lethal assistance to the ,syrian ,opposition ,coalition and the ,supreme ,military ,council4 7#ac7 ,on ,february #ah1 #bjac1 the ,council of the ,european ,union called on the ,syrian regime to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance to reach all those in need and amended their sanctions against the regime to allow greater non-lethal support and technical assistance to the opposition for the protection of civilians4 7#ad7 ,the ,february #bf1 #bjac1 communique by the ,friends of the ,syrian ,people ,international ,working ,group on ,sanctions called on all states to take steps1 in their own capacity1 by imposing1 at a minimum1 an asset freeze on senior ,syrian regime officials involved in the repression1 as well as an asset freeze on1 and restrictions on transactions with banks tied with the ,syrian regime such as the ,central ,bank of ,syria1 the ,commercial ,bank of ,syria and the ,syrian ,international ,islamic ,bank4 7#ae7 ,according to the ,unclassified ,report to ,congress on the ,acquisition of ,technology ,relating to ,weapons of ,mass ,destruction and ,advanced ,conventional ,munitions ,covering #a ,january to #ca ,december #bjaa1 ,syria has had a chemical weapons program for many years and has a stockpile of ,,cw agents1 which can be delivered by aerial bombs1 ballistic missiles1 and artillery rockets4 ,in a hearing before the ,committee on ,armed ,services of the ,senate in ,march #bjab1 ,chairman of the ,joint ,chiefs of ,staff ,general ,martin ,dempsey testified that the magnitude of ,syria's chemical weapons arsenal was #ajj times more than we experienced in ,libya4 ,the ,government of ,syria's stockpiles are thought to include mustard1 sarin1 and ,,vx gases4 7#af7 ,there are concerns about the existence of numerous rebel militias and their role in ,syria during a post-transition period4 ,on ,june #cj1 #bjab1 during an international meeting on ,syria in ,geneva1 ,special ,envoy ,kofi ,annan said1 ,a transition must be implemented in a climate of safety for all1 stability and calm1 including completion of withdrawals and the disarming1 demobilization and reintegration of armed groups4 7#ag7 ,according to reports1 the ,government of ,iran provides resources and military training to groups such as ,jaysh al-,shi'ite4 ,these groups also receive military training from ,hezbollah and ,iran's ,islamic ,revolutionary ,guard ,corps 7,,irgc74 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 to strongly condemn the ongoing violence and widespread human rights violations perpetrated against the ,syrian people by the regime of ,president ,bashar al-,assad2 7#b7 to support civilians and innocent victims of the conflict in ,syria1 particularly women and children who are displaced and vulnerable to physical and psychological exploitation2 7#c7 to assist the people of ,syria in meeting basic needs1 including access to food1 health care1 shelter1 and clean drinking water2 7#d7 to affirm the neutrality of medical professionals providing humanitarian assistance and health care on a non-political basis and to condemn attacks against such personnel or interference in the provision of medical care2 7#e7 to support efforts of democratically oriented political opposition groups in ,syria to agree upon a political transition plan that is inclusive and protects the rights of all minority ethnic groups in the country2 7#f7 to work with the international community1 including multilateral organizations and host countries1 to support ,syrian refugees in ,lebanon1 ,turkey1 ,jordan1 ,egypt1 ,iraq1 and other host countries2 7#g7 to welcome the pledges of humanitarian assistance made by the ,governments of ,australia1 ,botswana1 ,brazil1 ,canada1 ,china1 ,india1 ,japan1 ,republic of ,korea1 ,kuwait1 ,morocco1 ,new ,zealand1 ,qatar1 ,saudi ,arabia1 ,turkey1 the ,united ,arab ,emirates1 and members of the ,european ,union1 and to encourage prompt delivery of those pledges which will contribute to meeting the needs of the victims of this conflict1 and to encourage all donors to coordinate with the ,united ,nations2 7#h7 to support efforts to identify1 recover1 and dispose of chemical weapons and other conventional and unconventional weapons stockpiled in ,syria2 7#i7 that the ,national ,coalition for ,syrian ,revolutionary and ,opposition ,forces 7,,soc7 is the sole and legitimate representative of the ,syrian people2 7#aj7 to support the ,national ,coalition for ,syrian ,revolutionary and ,opposition ,forces 7,,soc7 efforts to establish a transitional government2 7#aa7 to support transparent and impartial judicial processes1 in which ,syrians have a leading voice1 for all those who have committed gross violations of human rights and international law1 while noting that the majority of these violations have been committed by the ,assad regime2 7#ab7 to help ensure that1 once a stable transitional government is established in ,syria1 it is committed to multiparty democracy1 open and transparent governance1 respect for human rights and religious freedom1 protection of refugees and asylees1 promoting peace and stability with its neighbors1 enhancing the rule of law1 and rehabilitating and reintegrating former combatants2 and 7#ac7 to affirm that the end of the ,assad regime is in the national security interests of the ,united ,states1 as it would weaken the position of ,iran and ,hezbollah in the region and allow for the return of displaced persons currently seeking refuge in host countries4 #d4 ,assistance to the syrian people 7a7 ,authority ,the ,president is authorized1 notwithstanding any other provision of law1 to furnish1 on such terms and conditions as the ,president may determine1 assistance in order to-- 7#a7 provide enhanced support for humanitarian activities taking place in and outside ,syria1 including the provision of food1 shelter1 water1 health care1 and medical supplies2 7#b7 support efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in ,syria as well as the establishment of an inclusive representative form of government in ,syria2 7#c7 continue to encourage the participation of all groups1 including women1 business leaders1 civil society organizations1 traditional and religious leaders1 and minority groups in efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and political transition in ,syria2 7#d7 encourage the ,arab ,league and other international bodies to insist that transitional and future governments are committed to multiparty democracy1 open and transparent governance1 respect for human rights and religious freedom1 ending the violence throughout the country1 promoting peace and stability with ,syria's neighbors1 enhancing the rule of law and combating corruption1 and rehabilitating and reintegrating former combatants2 7#e7 contribute seed funding to establish a ,syria ,reconstruction ,fund1 which would leverage contributions from other international donors and be used for the physical reconstruction and re-establishment of basic services in ,syria after the cessation of the conflict and the fall of the ,assad regime2 7#f7 contribute future capacity building for legitimate governing institutions after a political transition takes place in ,syria2 7#g7 support post-transition efforts1 including programs for demobilizing and reintegrating former combatants2 and 7#h7 expand the public awareness-raising campaign of the ,united ,states ,government about ,united ,states humanitarian assistance efforts through both ,english-language and regional traditional media sources1 as well as social or new media sources4 7b7 ,funding 7#a7 ,fiscal years #bjad and #bjae ,of the amounts made available to carry out the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baea et seq47 for fiscal years #bjad and #bjae1 such sums as may be necessary should be allocated for bilateral assistance programs in ,syria4 7#b7 ,future funding ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,department of ,state should submit a budget request for fiscal year #bjae that contains an appropriate increase in bilateral and multilateral assistance for ,syria based on progress toward accomplishing the policy objectives described in section #c4 7#c7 ,availability ,amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7-- 7,a7 are authorized to remain available until expended2 and 7,b7 are in addition to funds otherwise available for such purposes4 7c7 ,coordination with other donor nations ,the ,united ,states should work with other donor nations1 on a bilateral and multilateral basis1 to increase international contributions to the people of ,syria and accomplish the policy objectives described in section #c4 7d7 ,branding requirement 7#a7 ,in general ,all assistance made available under this section shall be identified as being ,from the ,american ,people if the relevant ,assistant ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the implementing partner1 determines that such identification would not-- 7,a7 jeopardize the safety or impartiality of implementing partners that deliver the assistance2 7,b7 jeopardize the health and safety of the intended beneficiaries2 7,c7 compromise the intrinsic independence or neutrality of a program or materials where implementing partner independence or neutrality is inherently important to the success of the effort2 7,d7 undermine ,united ,states efforts to empower the democratically inclined political opposition2 or 7,e7 otherwise render the provision of assistance impracticable4 7#b7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting the identification of assistance with a contractor or grantee's own organizational brand or logo1 subject to any standards or regulations that the ,president may establish4 7e7 ,notification requirement 7#a7 ,in general ,in cases where the authority in this section is relied upon to overcome applicable restrictions on the provision of assistance to ,syria1 obligation of such funds shall be subject to the regular #ae-;day notification procedures4 7#b7 ,waiver ,notification under paragraph 7#a7 may be waived if failure to do so would pose a substantial risk to human health or welfare1 in which case notification shall be provided as early as practicable1 but in no event later than #c days after taking the action to which such notification requirement was applicable4 ,the waiver shall be accompanied by an explanation of the emergency circumstances necessitating the waiver4 #e4 ,increasing assistance to the national coalition for syrian revolutionary and opposition forces 7a7 ,authority ,the ,president is authorized1 notwithstanding any other provision of law1 to furnish assistance1 and make contributions1 in order to-- 7#a7 increase the provision of training to and build the capacity of the ,syrian ,opposition ,coalition and the ,assistance ,coordination ,unit to enhance their ability to provide basic services to the people of ,syria and establish the beginnings of a functioning government2 7#b7 provide training in international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict to members of the ,syrian ,opposition ,coalition and ,free ,syrian ,army2 7#c7 provide non-lethal equipment and training1 including training and equipment related to chemical weapons and equipment such as body armor1 night vision equipment1 and communications equipment1 to vetted members of the ,free ,syrian ,army1 to improve their ability to conduct operations and provide security for convoys of humanitarian assistance inside ,syria2 7#d7 provide special operations training to vetted members of the ,free ,syrian ,army2 and 7#e7 allocate additional ,department of ,state personnel to conduct thorough vetting of opposition individuals receiving aid4 7b7 ,funding for fiscal years #bjad and #bjae ,of the amounts made available to carry out the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baea et seq47 for fiscal years #bjad and #bjae1 such sums as may be necessary should be allocated to build the capacity of the ,coalition for ,syrian ,revolutionary and ,opposition ,forces4 7c7 ,notification requirement 7#a7 ,in general ,in cases where the authority in this section is relied upon to overcome applicable restrictions on the provision of assistance to ,syria1 obligation of such funds shall be subject to the regular #ae-;day notification procedures4 7#b7 ,waiver ,notification under paragraph 7#a7 may be waived if failure to do so would pose a substantial risk to human health or welfare1 in which case notification shall be provided as early as practicable1 but in no event later than #c days after taking the action to which such notification requirement was applicable4 ,the waiver shall be accompanied by an explanation of the emergency circumstances necessitating the waiver4 #f4 ,imposition and conditional termination of sanctions 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,account2 correspondent account2 payable-through account ,the terms account1 correspondent account1 and payable-through account have the meanings given those terms in section #ecah;,a of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#b7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,finance1 the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs1 and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#c7 ,foreign financial institution ,the term foreign financial institution has the meaning of that term as determined by the ,secretary of the ,treasury pursuant to section #ajd7;i7 of the ,comprehensive ,iran ,sanctions1 ,accountability1 and ,divestment ,act of #bjaj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #heac7;i774 7b7 ,imposition of sanctions with respect to the central bank of ,syria and other ,syrian financial institutions 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,president should prohibit the opening1 and prohibit or impose strict conditions on the maintaining1 in the ,united ,states of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that the ,president determines has knowingly conducted any significant arms sale to the ,government of ,bashar al ,assad through the ,central ,bank of ,syria or another ,syrian financial institution designated by the ,secretary of the ,treasury for the imposition of sanctions pursuant to the ,international ,emergency ,economic ,powers ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja et seq47 or any ,syrian individual or entity added after ,april #bh1 #bjaa1 and before the date of the enactment of this ,act to the ,specially ,designated ,nationals ,list maintained by the ,office of ,foreign ,assets ,control of the ,department of the ,treasury4 7#b7 ,exception for humanitarian transactions ,the ,president may not impose sanctions under paragraph 7#a7 on a foreign financial institution for engaging in a transaction with the ,central ,bank of ,syria for the sale of food1 medicine1 medical devices1 donations intended to relieve human suffering1 or non-lethal aid to the people of ,syria4 7#c7 ,applicability ,paragraph 7#a7 applies with respect to financial transactions commenced on or after the date of the enactment of this ,act4 7#d7 ,waiver 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,president may waive the application of paragraph 7#a7 with respect to a foreign financial institution for a period of not more than #ahj days1 and may renew that waiver for additional periods of not more than #ahj days1 if the ,president determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that the waiver is necessary to the national security interest of the ,united ,states4 7,b7 ,form ,a report submitted pursuant to subparagraph 7,a7 shall be submitted in unclassified form1 but may contain a classified annex4 7c7 ,termination of sanctions 7#a7 ,in general ,the requirements under subsection 7b7 to impose sanctions shall no longer have force or effect with respect to ,syria if the ,president determines and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the termination of such sanctions is in the national security interest of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,notification requirement ,upon making the certification described in paragraph 7#a71 the ,president shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report assessing-- 7,a7 the extent to which ,bashar al-,assad or members of his regime control ,syrian territory2 7,b7 the existence and capability of a democratic transitional government to control ,syrian territory and provide basic services to the ,syrian people2 7,c7 whether the transitional government supports acts of terrorism or has committed human rights violations2 and 7,d7 whether the transitional government is cooperating with the ,united ,states ,government in locating1 securing1 and removing conventional and unconventional weapons4 #g4 ,increasing contributions and other humanitarian and development assistance through international organizations 7a7 ,in general ,the ,president should instruct the ,united ,states permanent representative or executive director1 as the case may be1 to the ,united ,nations voluntary agencies1 including the ,world ,food ,program1 the ,united ,nations ,development ,program1 ,united ,nations ,children's ,fund1 and the ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,refugees1 and other appropriate international organizations such as the ,international ,committee of the ,red ,cross to use the voice and vote of the ,united ,states to support additional humanitarian and development assistance for the people of ,syria in order to accomplish the policy objectives described in section #c4 ,the ,president is authorized1 notwithstanding any other provision of law1 to permit the ,united ,states to vote and take action in favor of the provision of assistance for ,syria at any international financial institution in order to support the transition to peace1 democracy1 and sustainable development in ,syria4 7b7 ,notification requirement 7#a7 ,in general ,in cases where the authority in this section is relied upon to overcome applicable restrictions on the provision of assistance to ,syria1 obligation of such funds shall be subject to the regular #ae-;day notification procedures4 7#b7 ,waiver ,notification under paragraph 7#a7 may be waived if failure to do so would pose a substantial risk to human health or welfare1 in which case notification shall be provided as early as practicable1 but in no event later than #c days after taking the action to which such notification requirement was applicable4 ,the waiver shall be accompanied by an explanation of the emergency circumstances necessitating the waiver4 #h4 ,increasing bilateral assistance to countries that host syrian refugees 7a7 ,authority ,the ,president should increase bilateral funding to countries1 including ,iraq1 ,jordan1 ,turkey1 ,egypt1 and ,lebanon1 which have experienced an influx of refugees from ,syria4 7b7 ,funding for fiscal years #bjad and #bjae ,of the amounts made available to carry out the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baea et seq47 for fiscal years #bjad and #bjae1 such sums as may be necessary should be allocated for bilateral refugee assistance programs in the countries surrounding ,syria4 #i4 ,coordination of international assistance for ,syria 7a7 ,establishment ,not later than #cj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state should work with the appropriate ,united ,nations agencies1 the ,international ,committee of the ,red ,cross1 regional organizations1 nongovernmental organizations1 and the broader international community to convene an international donors group to maximize resources and efficiently provide humanitarian assistance to the people of ,syria4 7b7 ,purpose ,the ,secretary of ,state should take steps to ensure donor groups coordinate resources for the following activities in ,syria and the region3 7#a7 ,providing humanitarian relief to civilians impacted by the violence in ,syria and ,syrian refugees in host countries4 7#b7 ,supporting inclusive post-transitional governance and the establishment of the rule of law4 7#c7 ,supporting disarmament1 demobilization1 and reintegration of combatants and members of militias4 7c7 ,annual report ,the ,department of ,state shall submit a report on the specific programs1 projects1 and activities funded by the donors group and implemented by humanitarian organizations during the preceding year1 including an evaluation of the results of such programs1 projects1 and activities4 #aj4 ,securing weapons in syria 7a7 ,transition plan ,the ,united ,states should work with regional partners to develop a plan1 to be implemented in the event of a political transition1 to-- 7#a7 identify and secure conventional and unconventional weapons stockpiles in ,syria2 7#b7 recover and dispose of all unconventional weapons stockpiled in ,syria1 with particular attention to chemical weapons2 and 7#c7 prevent the illicit sale or transfer of conventional and unconventional weapons out of ,syria in order to preclude regional weapons proliferation4 7b7 ,sense of congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,department of ,state should submit a budget request for fiscal year #bjad that contains an increase in bilateral nonproliferation1 demining1 and anti-terrorism assistance for ,syria toward accomplishing the policy objectives described in this section4 7c7 ,authority ,the ,president is authorized1 notwithstanding any other provision of law1 to furnish1 assistance in order to conduct activities in support of the purposes of this section4 7d7 ,notification requirement 7#a7 ,in general ,in cases where the authority in this section is relied upon to overcome applicable restrictions on the provision of assistance to ,syria1 obligation of such funds shall be subject to the regular #ae-;day notification procedures4 7#b7 ,waiver ,notification under paragraph 7#a7 may be waived if failure to do so would pose a substantial risk to human health or welfare1 in which case notification shall be provided as early as practicable1 but in no event later than #c days after taking the action to which such notification requirement was applicable4 ,the waiver shall be accompanied by an explanation of the emergency circumstances necessitating the waiver4 #aa4 ,report on humanitarian and stabilization efforts in syria ,not later than #fj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,president shall submit to ,congress a detailed report on the implementation of this ,act1 including a description of-- 7#a7 progress made as a result of humanitarian and stabilization efforts1 including refugee assistance to those affected by the violence in ,syria2 7#b7 progress made toward establishing an inclusive1 democratic government that protects the rights of all ,syrians2 and 7#c7 key challenges1 gaps1 and obstacles to further enhancing stability and peace in ,syria1 including between ,syria and its neighbors4