Syria: Closed Consultations
Tomorrow morning (27 December), Security Council members will convene for closed consultations on Syria. Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen is expected to brief. France and Slovenia requested the meeting to keep the Council informed about developments in the country.
Tomorrow’s meeting will be the third Council session on the situation on Syria since the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad on 8 December in a rebel offensive, which involved Security Council-listed terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian National Army (SNA), a coalition of armed groups allegedly backed by Türkiye. (For background and more information, see our 9 and 16 December What’s in Blue stories.)
On 10 December, Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani), HTS’ leader and head of the newly formed administration in Syria, installed Mohammed al-Bashir to lead a caretaker government until March 2025. (Bashir previously served as the head of the Syrian Salvation Government in Idlib, an entity established by HTS in 2017 to administer the territories under its control.) In the subsequent days, the transitional government announced its ministerial portfolios, appointing Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister and Murhaf Abu Qasra as defence minister, both of whom are reportedly close allies of Sharaa. According to media reports, on 24 December, Sharaa reached an agreement with the heads of several armed rebel factions to dissolve their groups and integrate them under the defence ministry; however, the specifics of the agreement remain unclear.
Pedersen travelled to Damascus between 15 and 18 December, engaging with a range of key stakeholders. These included Sharaa, Bashir, and members of other armed factions, as well as representatives of the Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC), which was formed as the political opposition to the Assad government and includes military representatives involved in the recent military offensive. During his visit, Pedersen also visited Sednaya Prison—a facility located north of Damascus notorious for its use by the Assad government for carrying out torture and executions—and met with families of those that had been detained and missing as well as civil society representatives.
In his remarks at a 17 December Council meeting, Pedersen outlined the challenges facing the country, notably prevailing insecurity in some parts, particularly north-east Syria, where front lines remain active. He stressed the need for de-escalation towards a nationwide ceasefire, as well as efforts to address tensions between military factions. He emphasised the importance of advancing efforts towards economic development, reconstruction, and addressing and ultimately lifting sanctions. Regarding the political process, Pedersen noted the broad understanding that, under the current circumstances, resolution 2254 of 18 December 2015, which focused on finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis, cannot be applied mechanically, although its core principles enjoy widespread consensus among Syrians. He stressed the need for drafting a new constitution and conducting free and fair elections, in line with resolution 2254. Furthermore, Pedersen underscored the importance of transitional justice, including clarifying the fate of missing and disappeared persons and ensuring due process in criminal prosecutions to prevent acts of revenge. Pedersen is likely to reiterate some of these points at tomorrow’s meeting. (For more information, see our 16 December What’s in Blue story.)
During the closed consultations that followed the Council briefing on 17 December, Pedersen apparently cautioned that the coordination between HTS and other armed groups from the offensive might not have transitioned into political cooperation. It seems that he alluded to differing expectations among different actors regarding the implementation of resolution 2254 and the role of UN facilitation.
Tomorrow, Pedersen and some members might voice concern about the continuing hostilities in some parts of the country, particularly the north, and call on relevant parties to maintain calm and agree to a nationwide ceasefire. They may also underline the imperative to protect civilians, including religious and ethnic minorities.
In the days following Assad’s ousting, hostilities escalated significantly in the north, with various factions competing for control and influence. Turkish-backed SNA forces launched an offensive in the territories controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), capturing strategic locations such as the city of Manbij in the Aleppo governorate and initiating operations in the city of Kobani near Syria’s northern border with Türkiye. The SDF has been a crucial security partner for the US in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL\Da’esh). Türkiye, however, views the SDF as closely linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), pointing to the dominant role within the SDF of the People’s Defense Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia, and its overlapping leadership with the PKK.
On 24 December, forces loyal to the Assad government reportedly ambushed a patrol of forces affiliated with the interim administration who were pursuing a former officer implicated in activities at the Sednaya prison. The incident apparently resulted in the deaths of 14 security personnel and injured ten others. Media reports suggest that the Syrian transitional administration has been conducting security operations in the village of al-Jobeh and the cities of Damascus and Homs to apprehend Assad loyalists accused of harming civilians.
In recent weeks, several countries have opened diplomatic channels to engage with the Syrian transitional authorities, including HTS leadership. Türkiye and Qatar have announced the reopening of their embassies in Damascus, marking the first time diplomatic relations have resumed since these countries severed ties during the Assad government’s violent crackdown on civil unrest in the Syrian civil war. Meanwhile, France, Germany, the UK, the US, and the EU, among others, have dispatched diplomatic contingents to engage with the de-facto authorities. Senior officials from Jordan, Türkiye, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia also visited Damascus in the preceding few days.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf announced after her 20 December visit to Damascus that the US would no longer pursue the “Rewards for Justice” offer of $10 million for information on Sharaa. On the situation in the north-east, she said that the US was working with Türkiye and the SDF to find “a managed transition in terms of SDF’s role in that part of the country”. Leaf added that “the conditions which led Kurds in northeast Syria to organise themselves and to defend themselves…were one set of conditions and things have really changed in a very dramatic fashion”.
Tomorrow, several members are likely to reiterate some of the points contained in Council members’ 17 December press statement, which called for the implementation of an inclusive and Syrian-led political process based on the key principles listed in resolution 2254. Members expressed support for Pedersen’s efforts in this regard and called for the political process to meet the legitimate aspirations of all Syrians, protect civilians and enable them to peacefully, independently, and democratically determine their own futures. They reaffirmed the commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria and called on all states to respect these principles. They further underscored the importance of combating terrorism in Syria and stressed the need to prevent ISIL and other terrorist groups from re-establishing their capabilities. Members emphasised that Syria must abide by all relevant Council resolutions regarding non-conventional weapons and called on Syria to cooperate with international efforts.
