Syria
Expected Council Action
In July, the Security Council is expected to hold a meeting on political and humanitarian developments in Syria. An official from the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria and an official from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are expected to brief.
Key Recent Developments
Six months following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad’s government, Syria’s new interim government continues to advance steps towards a credible political transition and to reactivate the country’s economy.
On 13 June, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a presidential decree appointing a Supreme Committee for Elections to the People’s Assembly, the transitional legislative authority. The committee will be responsible for overseeing the formation of electoral colleges, which will in turn elect two-thirds—100 out of 150 members—of the People’s Assembly. The remaining 50 members will be appointed directly by the President of the Republic.
A key component of the political transition in Syria is the interim government’s goal to unify the country, including by consolidating all armed groups into the Syrian national army. Following a 10 March agreement, negotiations have continued between the Syrian caretaker authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) —a Kurdish-led group which controls most of Syria’s autonomous northeastern territory—towards integrating the SDF’s civilian and military structures into Syria’s state institutions. Syrian media has reported that, despite the agreement, the SDF has continued its recruitment and training activities, and that negotiations regarding the exchange of detainees between the two sides have encountered some obstacles.
The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) 1-5 June visit to Syria—its first since 2009—appears to have been an important step towards economic recovery in the country. During the visit, the IMF said that Syria urgently needs “substantial international assistance” towards rehabilitation and meeting urgent humanitarian needs.
There has been increased economic support from several countries, encouraged by steps taken by the European Union (EU), the US, and the UK to ease Assad-era economic sanctions on the country. On 29 May, Syria signed a memorandum of understanding with a consortium of US, Turkish, and Qatari companies to invest approximately USD 7 billion into building energy infrastructure in Syria. Additionally, on 3 June, the EU pledged 175 million euros towards the social and economic recovery of the country.
Syria continues to face persistent security challenges that endanger gains made towards stability. Regional tensions intensified when Israel launched a military offensive aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes on 12 June. (For more information, see our 13 June and 19 June What’s in Blue stories.) Reportedly, both states used Syrian airspace to conduct their strikes, with multiple intercepted drones and ballistic missiles falling into Syrian territory. A fragile ceasefire was reached on 24 June that appeared to be holding at the time of writing.
Large-scale sectarian violence against Alawites and Druze in recent months has fueled fears of further violent eruptions. Briefing the Council on 17 June, UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Najat Rochdi said that “sporadic violent incidents” continued in various regions and highlighted the challenges faced by the interim authorities in controlling certain groups.
On 9 June, Syria’s Supreme Fatwa Council announced a fatwa—a formal religious ruling—prohibiting revenge killings and extrajudicial retaliation, and urged the authorities to take responsibility for holding criminals accountable. The fatwa dovetailed with steps being taken by the Syrian Ministry of Justice to strengthen the country’s judicial system by establishing the rule of law and pursuing transitional justice, including through the reinstatement of judges who had defected during Assad’s rule.
Terrorism continues to be a significant challenge for the interim government. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based human rights monitoring organisation, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) has conducted at least 110 attacks since early this year. While most of these attacks targeted the SDF, on 30 May, for the first time, ISIL claimed responsibility for an attack against forces affiliated with the Syrian interim government. On 22 June, in the first incident of its kind in Syria in years, a suicide bomber attacked a crowded Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, killing at least 25 people and wounding at least 65 more. The Syrian Interior Ministry claimed that ISIL was responsible. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen condemned the attack and called for a full investigation and action by the authorities. On 26 June, Security Council members issued a press statement condemning the attack, and underlining the need for accountability and for the protection of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity and religion. On 30 June, Council members met under “any other business” to discuss the security situation in Syria following the terrorist attack. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen briefed.
On 3 June, the US announced that it is taking steps to reduce its military presence in Syria as part of a strategic recalibration. Approximately 2,000 US troops are currently in the country, engaged in anti-ISIL operations, which have also included providing support to the SDF.
Since the beginning of June, there have been renewed strikes and incursions by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) into Syrian territory. The IDF has described these moves as retaliation for rockets fired into the Golan and as part of operations targeting Hamas fighters within Syria. On 12 June, Syria’s Interior Ministry condemned an overnight Israeli incursion into the countryside south of Damascus, in which one person was killed and several detained by Israeli forces, referring to it as a blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and calling on the Security Council to stop such attacks in the interest of regional security.
On 11 June, Axios reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had expressed interest in negotiating a peace agreement with the Syrian interim government, with the US serving as mediator.
In her 17 June briefing to the Council on the humanitarian crisis in Syria, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya warned that NGOs are being forced to scale back their activities in the country as funding for aid work has significantly decreased. She said that 16 percent of health facilities have suspended or reduced their capacity due to funding cuts, while fewer than 60 percent of hospitals and primary healthcare centres are fully functional. Msuya also raised alarm at food insecurity caused by persistent drought—in line with a recent drought alert report issued by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). She also highlighted the urgent need for demining, noting that unexploded ordnance had killed at least 414 people and injured 600 since December 2024, a third of whom were children, and was hindering the safe return of displaced persons.
Women, Peace and Security
Amneh Khoulani, the Executive Director of the civil society organisation Adalaty Centre, briefed the Security Council at the 17 June meeting on Syria. She urged the Council to encourage and support the Syrian government to guarantee the full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation of women from all backgrounds in decision-making. Khoulani called on the Security Council to welcome the lifting of “unilateral and multilateral sanctions” imposed on the Assad regime and undertake a review of the measures “that may impede Syria’s economic recovery” enacted by the Council under the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee. She also called for international support to accelerate early recovery efforts, including mine clearance, the removal of war debris, and the restoration of essential services such as health, education and telecommunications. Among other issues, Khoulani underscored the criticality of transitional justice for Syria’s future, stressing that “accelerating the effective launch of the justice process is the only true guarantee of genuine and sustainable peace”.
Key Issues and Options
The main priority for the Council is to ensure that Syria’s interim government pursues a credible, transparent, and inclusive political process grounded in the principles of Council resolution 2254. (Adopted on 18 December 2015, resolution 2254 focused on a political solution to the Syrian crisis). Council members will be closely monitoring efforts by the interim authorities—including by the newly established Supreme Committee for Elections to the People’s Assembly—to ensure that inclusivity, openness, and transparency are present in all stages of the transitional process.
Related key issues are how the interim government advances transitional justice efforts, including accountability. The fact-finding committee established by the interim government to investigate the mass killings in Latakia and Tartous in early March is due to submit its final report in early July. The Council could consider requesting a briefing on the findings of the investigation, while continuing to monitor how the interim government pursues justice, including potentially against any perpetrators affiliated with the authorities.
The threat of terrorism in Syria is another issue of concern for Council members. Should ISIL continue to escalate its attacks, Council members could consider convening a private meeting to receive a briefing on the extent of the threat and to engage with Syria on ways the interim government can mitigate security risks and combat terrorism.
In line with steps being taken by various Council member states to lift unilateral sanctions on Syria, the Council could also consider steps to alleviate UN sanctions which are impacting the interim government, including through delistings. Currently, both Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—the Council-listed terrorist group which, under Sharaa’s leadership, overthrew the Assad government—and Sharaa himself are listed under the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.
The future of the UN’s role in Syria is another key issue for the Council. Under instructions from the Secretary-General, the UN Secretariat has been conducting an integrated strategic assessment of the changing situation in the country, which will be finalised in an internal report. Based on this report, the Secretary-General will consider what type of UN presence in Syria would be most suitable to meet the country’s current needs. Council action may be needed if the options include establishing a UN operation or adjusting the mandate of existing modalities.
Council and Wider Dynamics
Council members are aligned on the need for the Syrian authorities to advance an inclusive, Syrian-owned and Syrian-led political process based on the key principles of resolution 2254. They also agree that the Syrian interim government must credibly pursue transitional justice efforts and take measures to prevent any further violence against minorities as part of this process.
There is broad agreement among Council members that the new Syrian government requires international support to rebuild Syria and its crippled economy, including through the easing of sanctions, which several Council members are now pursuing.
Following a meeting in May between Sharaa and US President Donald Trump, relations between the two countries appear to have improved. During the 17 June Council meeting, the US spoke of a “new era in its relationship with Syria” and underlined efforts that it is taking to lift sanctions, allowing for reconstruction and investment in the country.
Many Council members also agree on the need for the Syrian interim government to take decisive measures to address the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), in line with the Council’s 14 March presidential statement. On 2 June, Reuters reported that the Syrian interim government plans to integrate some 3,500 foreign fighters into the Syrian national army and that the US approved, provided that it is done “transparently”. Many of the fighters in question are Uyghurs who constitute part of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement—also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party—which China considers a terrorist organisation and is also listed under UN sanctions. During the 17 June Council meeting, China expressed grave concern about the reported integration of FTFs into the Syrian army and called on the Syrian authorities to take all measures to combat terrorist organisations listed by the Security Council, in line with counter-terrorism related resolutions.
Israel’s presence and military activities in Syria remain a point of contention for Council members. Most members believe Israel’s actions are fostering tensions and instability in Syria, but the US sees its actions as defensive in nature and tied to ensuring its national security.
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 18 December 2015S/RES/2254 | This was the first resolution focused exclusively on a political solution to the Syrian crisis. It was adopted unanimously. |
| 17 December 2015S/RES/2253 | This was a resolution strengthening the Al Qaida sanctions regime and focusing on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The sanctions regime was also renamed the “1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List” to reflect this focus. |
| Security Council Presidential Statement | |
| 14 March 2025S/PRST/2025/4 | This was a presidential statement condemning sectarian violence perpetrated in Latakia and Tartous and calling for accountability and the protection of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or religion. |
| Security Council Press Statement | |
| 26 June 2025SC/16103 | This was a press statement condemning a 22 June 2025 terrorist attack committed by a suicide bomber on a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, Syria. |
