Deauville Partnership We reiterate our commitment to the Deauville Partnership to support the countries of the MENA in their economic and governance reform efforts. We recognize the new challenges facing the Arab Countries in Transition (ACTs) including the rise of violent extremism, intensification of military conflicts, complex humanitarian crises and significant number of refugees. We emphasize the need for stability, democratization and inclusive economic growth. To that end, we underscore the importance of structural economic reforms, improved governance, the empowerment of women and robust civil society participation. The Deauville Partnership remains an important platform for dialogue and cooperation with the ACTs, regional partners and relevant international institutions. We commit to promote the socio-economic role of women in the region and to convene an expert meeting on this topic. We welcome the shared commitment to implement the Deauville Compact on Economic Governance, the Action Plan for Financial Inclusion and the projects financed by the MENA Transition Fund. We recognize the importance of SME-related projects and encourage the updating of the ACT SME Action Plans. We remain committed to supporting the ACTs through country-tailored approaches. Syria We call on all parties and their backers to fully implement the nationwide Cessation of Hostilities achieved based on the efforts taken by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG). We condemn in the strongest terms violations of the Cessation of Hostilities, especially in and around Aleppo, by the Syrian regime and reiterate that parties must cease indiscriminate attacks on civilians. We welcome the ISSG’s commitment to intensifying its efforts to ensure that all parties stop any further indiscriminate attacks, and welcome Russia’s commitment in the Joint Statement of May 9 2016 to ‘work with the Syrian authorities to minimize aviation operations over areas predominantly inhabited by civilians or parties to the cessation’. We expect Russia and Iran to urge the regime to comply with renewed cessation and to stop its attacks directed at civilians, and urge all parties to the cessation to abide by the terms of the cessation. We urge all members of the international community and parties to the conflict to fully implement all relevant UN Security Council resolutions, particularly 2254, 2258 and 2268 to support the efforts by the UN Special Envoy, and to commit to an inclusive and peaceful political transition in Syria based on the Geneva Communiqué. We welcome the ISSG’s clear reiteration of the objective that, by the target date of August 1 2016 as established by UN Security Council resolution 2254, the parties reach agreement on a framework for a genuine political transition, which would include a broad, inclusive, non-sectarian transitional governing body with full executive powers. We express our grave concern at the deterioration of the humanitarian situation and call on all parties, notably the Syrian regime, to immediately allow humanitarian agencies rapid, safe, unhindered and 20