Syria: Briefing and Consultations
Tomorrow morning (13 January), the Security Council will hold its monthly open briefing and closed consultations on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya are the anticipated briefers. This will be Cordone’s first briefing to the Council in this post, which he assumed on 1 January. A civil society representative is also expected to speak.
The UK is expected to deliver a statement prior to the meeting on behalf of the signatories of the Shared Commitments on women, peace and security (WPS) initiative—Colombia, Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Panama, and the UK. It seems that, among other things, the statement will highlight the importance of the role women can play in Syria’s recovery and political transition, while also calling for protection from sexual and gender-based violence and strengthened accountability measures.
Tomorrow’s meeting is expected to focus on the latest developments involving the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led group which established an autonomous region in the northeast Syria during the civil war. On 30 January, following months of talks, tensions, and clashes between Syria’s interim government forces and the SDF, the two sides announced a US-brokered ceasefire and comprehensive agreement which included the phased integration of the SDF into government institutions.
The agreement also includes provisions focusing on the return of displaced persons, and the recognition of Kurdish educational certificates. It follows a 16 January Presidential Decree No. 13, which officially recognised Syrian Kurdish identity, recognised Kurdish as a national language, and granted citizenship for Syrian Kurds.
A 30 January statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the agreement and appealed for its implementation, while urging all sides to prioritise Syria’s stabilisation and the protection of civilians. In his briefing tomorrow, Cordone is likely to give an update on the implementation of the agreement, while calling for a peaceful integration of the SDF into government institutions. He may also refer to allegations of violations of international law against civilians during clashes between the two sides in January and call on the parties to investigate such allegations and ensure accountability.
For her part, Msuya will likely brief on the humanitarian impact of fighting in the north. She may note that UN-led assessment teams and aid convoys are accessing areas which witnessed clashes, such as Kobani, but that more aid is needed as basic services and food supply systems continue to be severely disrupted. As at 4 February, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that 142,000 persons remained internally displaced in northeast Syria. Msuya may also note that humanitarian needs continue to persist across the country, including in areas recently impacted by severe flooding in the northwest.
Council members are likely to welcome the ceasefire and the integration agreement. Some may stress that the central government’s ability to ensure stability in and control over northeast Syria is an important step towards the restoration of the country’s territorial integrity and unity. Some Council members may also emphasise that safeguarding Kurdish rights and the rights of other minorities is integral to advancing an inclusive political transition, which guarantees the protection of all Syrians.
A related issue which will most likely be discussed tomorrow is how these developments will affect efforts to curb the resurgence of the Islamic State in Syria and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) in northeast Syria. The Secretary-General’s 2 February report on the threat posed by ISIL to international peace and security said that ISIL maintains thousands of fighters in Syria and seeks to destabilise the situation in the country. (For more information, see our 3 February 2026 What’s In Blue story.) The SDF has historically played an instrumental role in combating ISIL, cooperating with the Global Coalition Against Da’esh (the Coalition), and overseeing the detainment of a large number of ISIL fighters, and the women and children associated with them, in camps and detention facilities across the northeast of the country. Syria officially joined the Coalition on 11 November 2025 and since then the US has increased its cooperation with the Syrian government in operations targeting ISIL.
On 21 January, the US began to transfer thousands of ISIL detainees from northeast Syria to secure facilities in Iraq. Iraq has reportedly received over 2,250 ISIL prisoners already and has officially launched investigations into 1,387 of the detainees. Council members are likely to refer to these efforts and call on the Syrian authorities—who have now assumed responsibility for the detention facilities from the SDF—to guarantee the security of the facilities and maintain vigilance against ISIL. Msuya may update Council members on the humanitarian conditions in the Al Hol camp, which is now being managed by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Several Council members may also express appreciation for the SDF’s longstanding fight against terrorism in the region.
France could refer to a 5 February meeting between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Syrian interim Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani in Damascus, in which Barrot reaffirmed France’s prioritisation of the fight against ISIL in Syria and discussed France’s support for the agreement between the authorities in Damascus and the Kurds.
The US may refer to a 9 February meeting of the Coalition held in Saudi Arabia, which focused on combatting ISIL in Syria and Iraq. It may reiterate points from a joint US-Saudi statement issued after the meeting which reaffirmed the Coalition’s readiness to coordinate with the Syrian government to fight ISIL, while calling for other countries to directly support Syria and Iraq and repatriate detained foreign terrorist fighters from the two countries.
The security situation in southern Syria is another expected focus. Cordone may brief on the persisting tensions in the south , as sporadic clashes between Druze factions in Suweida and the Syrian authorities continue to occur. Another factor contributing to insecurity in the region is Israel’s continued military operations in southwest Syria. Speakers in tomorrow’s meeting will likely call for a resolution of the Suweida crisis, including through confidence-building steps laid out in the 16 September roadmap agreed by Jordan, Syria and the US. They may also demand respect for the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria, and call on both parties to pursue dialogue on mutual security through the joint communication mechanism that was agreed on 6 January.
Speakers are also likely to raise issues regarding the political transition. In October 2025, indirect elections were held for two-thirds (140 seats) of Syria’s new legislature and 122 seats were filled, but areas where Damascus did not yet have full control—such as in Suweida and in the northeast—were excluded. The election results also featured an underrepresentation of women and minorities, with only six women and few minority representatives elected. Once the 140 seats are filled, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to directly select the remaining 70 seats. Tomorrow, speakers may emphasise the importance of the interim government making progress in fully constituting the legislature, while stressing the need for the process to be inclusive of all aspects of Syrian society, including through the full and meaningful participation of women and improved engagement with civil society.
