Categories Meetings & Events / Security Council / Middle East Production Date 27 Aug 2026 Video Length 00:15:01 Asset Language Arabic Chinese English French Russian Spanish Original Broadcasting UN Entity DEPARTMENT OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS – DGC Subject Topical MIDDLE EAST PEACE MIDDLE EAST SITUATION PEACE AND SECURITY SYRIA SITUATION Speaker Role Special Envoy Speaker Affiliation SECRETARIAT Speaker Geographic SYRIA Geographic Subject MIDDLE EAST SYRIA Corporate Name SECURITY COUNCIL Summary Briefing by Claudio Cordone, Deputy Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, on the situation in the Middle East. View moreView less Description Madam President (Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen), I am briefing you from Damascus, following the Secretary-General’s visit to Syrialast month – the first by a Secretary-General in 17 years. Let me at the outset thankthe Syrian authorities for all the efforts made to ensure a secure and open environmentfor all his engagements.In his meetings with President al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister al-Shaibani and othersenior officials, the Secretary-General welcomed progress in Syria’s politicaltransition, including steps to strengthen state institutions and towards reconciliation,accountability and transitional justice. He stressed that the success of the politicaltransition will ultimately be measured by whether all Syrians feel represented in stateinstitutions and able to participate meaningfully in shaping their country’s future. Heshared this message during his open engagements with a wide array of Syrian women,civil society, and diverse communities.The Secretary-General was equally clear that Syria cannot meet the transitionchallenges alone. Greater international support is essential to meet urgenthumanitarian, recovery and development needs and create conditions for safe,dignified and voluntary returns. Syrians need tangible improvements in their dailylives and a viable future in their country. International support is essential to thesuccess of the political transition itself.Madam President,I welcome the US rescinding of Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.These steps should help create more favourable conditions for economic recovery,investment, and broader international engagement with Syria. According to anInternational Monetary Fund mission that visited Damascus last month, recovery isaccelerating and double-digit growth in 2026 is projected. But widespread poverty andrenewed inflation mean conditions remain very difficult for most Syrians.Madam President,The People’s Assembly has adopted rules of procedure, and we await the beginning ofits substantive work, including on a host of legislative priorities Further clarity isneeded on the Assembly’s oversight role regarding the executive. Its independenceand transparency will be important to the Assembly’s credibility, and to fosteringpublic trust and international confidence in the transition.The process for drafting of a permanent constitution is also yet to be specified. Weencourage an inclusive, transparent and participatory process capable of forging a newsocial contract for Syria. There is urgency in starting this process, as in preparing forthe elections at the end of the transition. My Office stands ready to provide technicalsupport and advice.Madam President,This month the Damascus Fourth Criminal Court convicted and sentenced to deathseveral former officials, including former President Bashar al-Assad, who along withothers was tried in absentia, as well as Atef Najib and Wassim al-Assad who appearedin person. Ahmad Hassoun, former Grand Mufti, was also tried in person and receiveda life sentence.The proceedings incorporated several important fair-trial safeguards for the defendantspresent in court, and there is a right to appeal within 30 days. However, fair trialsafeguards should be strengthened by reinforcing effective legal representation, andensuring a full appeal on the facts, not just on points of law. Greater consistency withfair-trial standards will strengthen confidence in the fairness and integrity of thetransitional justice process, and ensure that guilt is assigned to individual perpetratorsnot to groups. And, consistent with UN policy and as called for by the GeneralAssembly, I urge the Syrian authorities to establish a moratorium on all executions.On 21 August I attended the commemoration of the chemical attack on Eastern Ghoutaand Mu’adamiya, which killed some 1500 and left thousands injured. I expressed mysolidarity with the victims and survivors, my regret that the international communityfailed to prevent this atrocity and underscored the need for full accountability for thoseresponsible.Madam President,Israeli military activity has continued in southern Syria, including repeated groundincursions, house searches, and the destruction of private and agricultural property,particularly in Quneitra and the Yarmouk Basin.I note the release of a number of Syrians held in Israeli detention, but remainconcerned by continuing detentions. Families are seeking information on the fate andwhereabouts of their detained relatives. I am also concerned by statements from seniorIsraeli officials, advocating an open-ended Israeli military presence on Syrian territory.The continued Israeli presence east of the ceasefire line violates Syria’s sovereigntyand territorial integrity and is inconsistent with the 1974 Disengagement of ForcesAgreement. Let me also reiterate, as the Secretary-General did during his visit, that theGolan Heights remain occupied Syrian territory in accordance with international lawand relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.Another worrying development was the Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Dhuhur airbasein northern Syria on 18 August, which I condemn. I welcome the recent direct Israel-Syria contacts and talks in Jordan, and support the United States’ efforts to mediate asecurity arrangement between Syria and Israel and the operation of a deconflictionmechanism. Diplomacy must prevail, and negotiations should progress within theframework of international law.Madam President,Syria continues to face significant internal security challenges. Although overallviolence declined in August from July, violent criminal acts continue to be frequentlyreported, particularly killings perceived by local communities as retaliatory attacksagainst specific groups.Civil society organizations continue to report disappearances of women, men, andchildren. While some individuals have returned to their families, including an eight-year-old girl this month, others have been found dead, and many remain unaccountedfor.Deaths in custody, possibly resulting from torture, have been reported. A commissionof inquiry established by the Ministry of Interior found that Muhammad Ghmeira diedas a result of physical abuse inflicted during interrogation in custody. I condemn thisand send my condolences to his family. I welcome the Minister’s commitment to holdaccountable responsible personnel, while urging a clear and sustained publicgovernment position against any abuses in detention, as well as enhanced guidelinesand training.Effective law enforcement will be essential to efforts to rebuild a society in which allcitizens feel protected from violence and abuses. The Ministry of Interior’s efforts totrain women police officers represent a positive step, particularly in strengtheningresponses to crimes affecting women and girls.I also wish to stress that the threat posed by terrorism, specifically Daesh, remains aserious concern. Earlier this month, the Syrian authorities announced the arrest of aprominent Daesh commander as part of continuing efforts to pursue Daesh leaders andnetworks. Sustained counter-terrorism efforts, consistent with international law,remain essential.Madam President,I welcome the important progress achieved in the 25 August meeting betweenPresident Ahmad al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, marking continued steps forward onsecurity and administrative integration of northeast Syria. And I particularly welcomethe announcement of Mazloum Abdi of the end of the mission of the SyrianDemocratic Forces and their dissolution. I note the importance of the issue ofeducation in the Kurdish language and look forward to further progress on that issue. Ialso note that further discussions have taken place between the Minister of Interior andthe Women’s Protection Units on that latter’s integration. I reiterate our support for thefull implementation of the 29 January agreement, and the readiness of the UnitedNations to provide support on the ground.I note at the same time that the first convoy of returnees to Ras al-Ain was attacked on10 August, triggering tensions that spread to Ain al-Arab/Kobani, Hassakeh andelsewhere, underscoring the potential for localized tensions to challenge broaderprogress.Madam President,Sweida continues to be characterized by a political and security stalemate. Relationsbetween local actors and the authorities in Damascus remain marked by mutualdistrust, with some actors continuing to call for independence or joining Israel.Longstanding grievances remain unresolved, particularly those concerningaccountability, although trials of some of the alleged perpetrators started in July.A concerning incident involving the desecration of Christian graves was reported inal-Sawara al-Kubra, an area under government control in the northern countryside ofSweida, following earlier similar reports involving Druze graves.We take note of the Presidential decree of 17 August providing for an exceptionalexamination session for Sweida students who missed their examinations last June.There are concerns about the location of the examination centres and about how manystudents would actually sit the examination.There are reports indicating attempts fromwithin Sweida to prevent students from traveling to sit for their examinations.We remain ready to support the implementation of the September 2025 roadmap,including the returns of displaced Druze and Bedouin populations, and addressing theissue of detainees and the missing, while remaining guided by Syria’s sovereignty andterritorial integrity.Madam President,Ensuring the meaningful participation of all segments of society remains essential,. InDamascus, Syrian women shared with the Secretary-General their views on a broadset of issues, including the recognition of all victims as part of a transitional justicestrategy; the importance of proper investigation of allegations of abductions andsexual assaults of Syrian women; and the importance of greater representation ofwomen in decision-making positions, as well as their meaningful participation in therecovery and reconstruction efforts. I am pleased that the Council will have theopportunity to hear more on these issues from Rola al-Rukabi.Syrian women remain an extraordinary reservoir of experience and capacity. Theirefforts to build a Syrian state that meets the expectations of Syrian women and indeedall Syrians predate this transition. For more than a decade, the Office of the SpecialEnvoy has benefitted from the Women’s Advisory Board’s invaluable contribution tomediation efforts. With the change of circumstances on the ground, we conducted anextensive consultation process to explore how best to continue this strong engagementwith Syrian women. We will now expand our outreach to Syrian women, discussthemes of their choosing, and share their recommendations with the government.Although the Board held its final meeting in July, its members will continuecontributing to the transition. I thank them for their commitment and advice, and thedonors for their support over the years.Civil society organizations likewise emphasized inclusion and participation in theirmeeting with the Secretary-General, welcoming progress while calling for judicial andsecurity sector reform, accountability, an inclusive transitional justice process, equalrights and the protection of civic space. The discussions showcased the range anddepth of Syrian civil society and the contribution they can make to Syria’s successfultransition.Madam President,Before concluding, allow me to underline the continuing cooperation with the Syrianauthorities. Together, we are collaborating on areas of mutual interest, and doing so inclose coordination with the UN Country Team. Our objective remains to developfurther such cooperation, through the presence of a restructured Office in Damascus.We will continue to build on this progress, with the support of this Council, guided byour shared commitment to Syria’s successful transition.Thank you, Madam President. View moreView less Download
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