Syria
Expected Council Action
In August, the Security Council is expected to hold a meeting on political and humanitarian developments in Syria. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen and a representative from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are expected to brief.
Key Recent Developments
In July, Syria experienced a significant escalation in violence following the eruptions of intense clashes in Suweida, a Druze-majority governorate in southern Syria. The violence reportedly started on 13 July between Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze militias, and intensified between 14 and 16 July, following the deployment of the Syrian interim authorities’ security forces to the area, and Israeli airstrikes on Syrian security forces and buildings, including in Damascus.
On 18 July, US Ambassador to Turkïye and Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack announced via X that Israel and Syria reached a ceasefire agreement “embraced by Türkiye, Jordan and its neighbors” and on 26 July the two countries held talks in Paris, facilitated by the US, aimed at reducing tensions. Notwithstanding reports of renewed violence between Bedouin and Druze communities, the Syrian interim government announced a renewed truce in Suweida on 19 July, redeploying troops there in an apparent effort to restore calm.
While occasional skirmishes were reported between 20 and 22 July, major fighting has subsided since then. Approximately 176,000 people were displaced by the fighting that began on 13 July.
In reaction to a request for a meeting by Syria contained in a letter dated 16 July, the Security Council held an emergency briefing on 17 July on the Israeli airstrikes and the violence in Suweida. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Mohamed Khaled Khiari briefed the Council and reported hundreds of casualties among security forces, Druze fighters, and civilians, including women and children. He referenced alarming reports of extrajudicial killings, mass displacement, and damage to critical infrastructure. Khiari further stressed that Israel’s actions “further destabilise Syria at a sensitive time”. (For more information, see our 17 July What’s in Blue story.)
On 22 July, the fact-finding committee established by the interim government to investigate the mass killings in Latakia and Tartous in early March shared the findings of its investigation. The committee announced that more than 1,426 people, most of whom were civilians, were killed in the violence, which pitted Alawite fighters loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad against the caretaker authorities and their affiliates. According to the committee, 265 people were responsible for attacking government security forces, while 298 people were suspected of committing crimes against Alawites. The Syrian court system is expected to conduct additional investigations of these individuals, whose names have not been disclosed. Another 31 people accused of committing violations against civilians have been arrested.
The 10 March agreement between the interim government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—a Kurdish-led military group which controls most of Syria’s autonomous northeastern territory—to integrate the SDF and its associated civil and military structures into Syria’s state institutions has yet to be implemented. On 9 July, following discussions between the parties in Damascus, Barrack—who also reportedly participated in the meetings—told the Associated Press that there are still significant differences between the sides.
On 25 July, the US led an operation in Aleppo governorate, reportedly in coordination with interim government forces and the SDF, which killed a senior leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh).
The international community continues to take steps to normalise relations with Syria and to bolster the country’s efforts towards stability and global economic reintegration. Following US President Donald Trump’s 30 June executive order to terminate US sanctions, on 7 July the US State Department revoked the Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Council-listed terrorist group which overthrew the Assad government under Sharaa’s leadership. The executive order also directed the US Secretary of State to explore avenues for sanctions relief at the UN. On 5 July, the UK re-established diplomatic relations with Syria during a visit to the country by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
On 27 July, Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, the chairman of the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, said that Syria will hold parliamentary elections—the first to be held following the fall of Assad—between 15 and 20 September. In his 28 July briefing to the Council, Pedersen stressed that it is “absolutely vital that all major Syrian groups and components” and women are included as electors and candidates during the process.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula launched an extension of the 2025 Humanitarian Response priorities for Syria on 24 July, requesting $3.19 billion to provide assistance to 10.3 million people in need through the remainder of 2025. The press release announcing the extension noted that it comes “amid critical funding shortfalls”, while observing that current funding for the Syria Humanitarian Response plan stands at 11 percent.
In her 28 July briefing to the Council, Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division at OCHA Edem Wosornu said that despite having supported aid delivery through local partners, OCHA’s access to Suweida remains constrained due to security concerns. She called for expanded and sustained humanitarian access to sufficiently address the needs of the civilian population.
The humanitarian situation in Syria has been exacerbated by extensive wildfires, which started on 3 July in Latakia governorate and raged for ten days before being contained by firefighters. Wosornu said in her briefing that the UN and partners are providing a range of support to deliver assistance to thousands of people impacted by the fires, which displaced hundreds and damaged farmland, infrastructure and livelihoods in the region.
Human Rights-Related Developments
On 27 June, the Chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic (COI), Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, updated the Human Rights Council on Syria’s security and human rights situations at the Council’s 59th session. In his statement, Pinheiro noted the establishment of the National Transitional Justice Authority and the National Authority for Missing Persons, which mark an important step towards dealing with human rights abuses committed by the previous government while providing much-needed support and redress to survivors, victims and their relatives.
Pinheiro also highlighted the Commission’s findings of revenge attacks across several governorates, as well as a series of Israeli airstrikes in and around Damascus and on military bases and weapons depots in Daraa, Hama, Tartous, and Latakia, leading to civilian casualties. Pinheiro further emphasised the need for decisive action to restore trust among Syria’s minority communities and to prevent a cycle of revenge and retaliatory violence. He called upon all member states present at the Human Rights Council to deepen their engagement on the protection of human rights in Syria.
Key Issues and Options
A key issue for the Council is to ensure that Syria’s interim government pursues a credible, transparent, and inclusive political process while navigating an increasingly fraught security context compounded by sectarian violence, terrorism, and violations of Syria’s sovereignty. Council members will be closely monitoring developments to ensure that steps being taken by the interim government are grounded in the principles of Council resolution 2254 of 18 December 2025, which focused on a political solution to the crisis in Syria.
A related key issue is how the interim government advances transitional justice efforts, including accountability. In addition to discussing the findings of the fact-finding committee into the violence in Latakia and Tartous in early March, Council members may also be expecting updates on efforts to ensure accountability for the violence against the Druze in July. Members may consider the option of issuing a presidential statement regarding the recent events in Suweida, including efforts towards accountability.
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 conducted an integrated strategic assessment of the changing situation in the country, which has been 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.
One option the Council could consider is delisting some members of the interim government. Various Council member states have taken steps to lift unilateral sanctions on Syria. Currently, both HTS and Sharaa himself are listed under the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.
Council members could request a briefing on the results of the integrated strategic assessment. They could also consider convening an Informal Interactive Dialogue (IID) with the participation of Syria and relevant UN departments to discuss the most viable options on future Council engagement with Syria.
Council 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 pursue efforts to incorporate armed groups into the Syrian army, to promote transitional justice efforts, and to prevent 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 the country and its crippled economy, including through the easing of sanctions.
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. China has repeatedly expressed concern about the reported integration of FTFs into the Syrian army.
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 has predominantly seen its actions as defensive in nature or tied to ensuring its national security.
The US is reportedly seeking to broker talks to end the decades-long conflict between Israel and Syria. In its statement at the 17 July Council emergency meeting following Israeli strikes on Syria, the US noted that it “did not support recent Israeli strikes” and that it is “engaging diplomatically with Israel and Syria at the highest levels, both to address the present crisis and reach a lasting agreement between the two sovereign states”.
| Security Council Resolution | |
| 18 December 2015S/RES/2254 | This was the first resolution focused exclusively on a political solution to the Syrian crisis. It was adopted unanimously. |
| 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. |
