Eighteen months after the fall of its long-standing dictatorship, Syria's strides towards stability and the fragility of that progress now sit "side by side", the UN's Deputy Special Envoy told the Security Council today, calling for continued support as the country navigates a critical period in its transition.
Claudio Cordone, Deputy Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, told the 15-member Council that he recently visited Damascus and met with a wide range of officials, civil society members and survivors and families of victims of past atrocities. He added that he plans to return next week for a more extended visit.
Syria has undergone major political and social shifts since a popular uprising ousted former President Bashar Al-Assad in late 2024. The country's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has engaged more closely with the international community and promised accountability for past atrocity crimes, while undertaking significant government reforms.
"The scale of the challenges facing this transitional parliament cannot be overstated," Mr. Cordone told the Council today. "New laws need to be debated and adopted, executive actions need to be reviewed, diverse voices must be heard and progress made on the transition."
He warned that, eight months after national elections, Syria's People's Assembly has still not been constituted. "The delay is generating anxiety," he said, calling for conditions that would help all Syrians feel meaningfully represented.
Trials of Former Officials Showcase Syria's Commitment to Due Process
On transitional justice, he welcomed the ongoing trial of former security official Atef Najib and other defendants charged in connection with the repression of demonstrators in Daraa in 2011. "These proceedings are a key opportunity to demonstrate Syria's commitment to accountability and due process," he said.
However, he noted that a draft transitional justice law is needed to cover all perpetrators of atrocity crimes, not only those linked to the former regime. Recent demonstrations in Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor and Damascus demanding accountability for past crimes underscore widespread public frustration on that front. "There needs to be a sense of the past being addressed swiftly, yes, but also fairly," he cautioned.
He went on to welcome progress in implementing a 29 January agreement between the Syrian Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, but voiced concern over the "complete absence of progress" on the Sweida road map - an internationally backed agreement to restore stability to the troubled southern Sweida province - and warned that calls for Sweida's secession threaten Syria's unity and territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, he said inflation, currency depreciation and declining purchasing power continue to fuel frustration and social unrest. "We hope that the recent Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and [Iran] … can re-enable focus on Syria's stability, and its economy," he said, referring to the peace agreement signed on 14 June.
'Ambition Anchored in Realism' to Assist Syrian Refugees, Displaced
"This moment requires ambition anchored in realism," said Indrika Ratwatte, Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, who also briefed the Council today.
Since December 2024, he said, some 1.6 million refugees and nearly 2 million internally displaced people have returned to Syria. "As people go back to their communities, access to basic services, protection and livelihoods is critical," he said, also emphasizing the risk posed by natural disasters - including recent flooding that has impacted more than 17,000 people and disrupted critical infrastructure.
Turning to Sweida province, he said the recent violence has restricted movement, limited access to essential services, and perpetuated cycles of displacement for families unable to return safely. "In this environment, more than 13,000 students were unable to sit their final exams this month due to access and administrative constraints," he said, pointing out that Syria's long conflict has already disrupted the education of an entire generation.
Applause for Syria's 'Positive Trajectory', Calls for Council to Sustain Humanitarian Response
Against that backdrop, he urged the Council to help sustain the international humanitarian response. "We must support Syria's transition beyond emergency aid by helping address the barriers preventing people from rebuilding their lives," he said, welcoming Syria's "No Tents, No Camps" vision as a powerful national goal. "Syria does not need narrow thinking that separates humanitarian response from recovery, or recovery from long-term stability," he warned.
Council members and representatives of regional States also took the floor to voice their views.
"Syria is on a positive trajectory, gradually consolidating its unity, internal stability and regional integration day by day," said France's delegate. The Government's efforts must continue, along with the international community's support. In that regard, he joined others in supporting the proposed relocation of the Special Envoy's office to Damascus and its involvement in the next stages of the transition, with full respect of Syrian sovereignty.
"The wisdom demonstrated by the Syrian leadership in navigating a highly volatile regional environment, while remaining focused on national priorities and recovery, deserve recognition and admiration," said Pakistan's delegate. However, he joined several other speakers in describing Israel's violations of Syrian sovereignty - namely, its recent military incursions, arbitrary arrests and the destruction of property and livelihoods - as "condemnable and destabilizing" and warned that they must end immediately.
Bahrain's delegate also welcomed "tangible progress" in Syria over recent months. "This reflects growing regional and international confidence in Syria's ability to move forward on the path of recovery, and its ability to restore its rightful place within its Arab and regional community," he said, while agreeing that Israel's violations of Syrian sovereignty risk undermining those gains.
Actions by Israel, Da'esh Risk Undermining Fragile Gains
Saudi Arabia's representative, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group and echoed by the representative of the United Arab Emirates, pointed to a "major economic shift" and growing foreign investments since countries lifted most of their economic sanctions on Syria. Against that positive backdrop, all countries must fully respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Israel must immediately and unconditionally withdraw from Syrian territories.
"The primary destabilizing factor continues to be Israel's aggressive action against [Syria]," agreed the representative of the Russian Federation. In that regard, she warned that Israel is planning to "cement" its illegal occupation of parts of Syria and denounced its unceasing incursions even deeper into the country.
The United Kingdom's speaker welcomed the new memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran - a "diplomatic breakthrough" that could help build regional stability, including for Syria. However, he echoed others in warning that increased Israeli military activity in Syria risks squandering that window of opportunity for progress.
While praising recent progress in Syria, several speakers warned that the country's main challenge is the threat still posed by terrorist groups, especially Islamic State in Iraq/the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh).
"In the last 18 months, Syria has played a key role in a new regional alignment of diplomacy, integration and hope," said the representative of the United States. Spotlighting the need to support Syria in fighting terrorism, she said that while attacks by ISIL have already decreased significantly since Syria began engaging with the global community, terrorist groups remain a critical challenge.
Türkiye's representative agreed that the terrorist threat in Syria remains high, requiring international support. He welcomed that, in recent weeks, several Da'esh members responsible for past terrorist attacks against Türkiye were apprehended in Syria.
Striking a similar tone, China'srepresentative warned that the situation in Syria - while marked by progress - remains extremely fragile in the face of ongoing terrorist threats. He also joined other speakers in voicing grave concern over the country's grave humanitarian situation and calling on Israel to end its illegal military presence on Syrian soil.
The representative of Somalia, also speaking for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia, echoed others in calling for sustained international engagement to preserve "hard-won gains", while stressing that the political transition must be both Syrian-led and Syrian-owned.
Political Transition Must Embody Aspirations of all Syrians
Meanwhile, the representatives of Greece, Panama and Latvia said the country's transition must be fully inclusive of all its people. The latter's representative welcomed the recent recognition of language and citizenship rights for Kurds and encouraged further agreements to strengthen integration, including meaningful Kurdish participation in political and decision-making structures at all levels.
Syria's institutions must embody the aspirations of all Syrian people, agreed Colombia's delegate, Council President for June, speaking in her national capacity. Further, "it is vital that institutional progress translate into safe, effective and representative fora for the participation of all women, young people, adolescents and girls."
On the humanitarian front, Denmark's representative highlighted her country's contribution to addressing Syria's severe humanitarian needs, as its third-largest donor with over $9 million provided in 2026. Denmark also supports the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)'s "Too Big to Fail" initiative, which delivers safe water to over 12 million people, she said.
Syria's representative, responding to the many statements delivered today, said his country is working to consolidate State institutions, fight terrorism, support international humanitarian law and push forward economic progress. However, it is crucial that the Council take seriously recent statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming that his army will not withdraw from parts of Syria it had invaded - as demanded by many speakers today. "Israel is the main obstacle to stability in Syria," he stressed.
