Syria: Briefing and Consultations
On Monday morning (22 June), the Security Council will hold a briefing on Syria. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone and Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Indrika Ratwatte are the anticipated briefers. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.
Speakers are expected to discuss several aspects of Syria’s post-conflict transition, including steps that the Syrian interim government—led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa—continues to advance on political, security, and economic issues.
On the political front, Cordone is likely to cover the elections for the People’s Assembly—Syria’s legislature—which took place on 24 May in the formerly Kurdish-controlled areas of Hasakah governorate and Ain al-Arab district (also known as Kobane). The elections filled 11 seats that remained vacant following the September 2025 elections. These seats were unfilled because voting was not held in the northeast, which was then under the de facto control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES). Cordone may also note that the representatives for 70 remaining seats—which are to be directly appointed by Sharaa—and the date of the first session of the Assembly have yet to be announced. In this regard, he may stress the importance of a functioning legislature for advancing transitional processes, such as transitional justice.
Several Council members may welcome the latest elections while underlining the need for the Assembly to promptly start its work and for the political process to include all segments of Syrian society. Some members—including those that have signed on to the Shared Commitments on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) initiative (Colombia, Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Panama, and the UK)—may specifically highlight the need for the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in the political process. They may note that filling the Assembly’s remaining seats, including those to be directly appointed by Sharaa, presents an important opportunity for the Syrian government to further advance women’s inclusion and diversity in the country’s political transition. Some speakers may also reference the Secretary-General’s latest annual reports on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and on children and armed conflict (CAAC), dated 21 April and 16 June, respectively, both of which cover developments in 2025 and document violations committed by government-affiliated forces and non-state actors.
Cordone may additionally update Council members on his most recent trip to Syria last month, during which he met with ministers, civil society representatives, victims’ groups, and transitional justice representatives. He may note that his discussions with the Syrian authorities focused on the relocation of the Special Envoy’s office from Geneva to Damascus and on areas in which the UN can help support the transitional authorities.
On the security track, Cordone is expected to update Council members on the integration of the SDF and DAANES into state institutions, in line with the 29 January agreement between the SDF and Damascus. He may note that there continues to be progress in the implementation of the agreement, including through the gradual integration of armed forces: several SDF brigades have reportedly been fully integrated into the national army structure, while more than 9,000 Asayish—the Kurdish internal security and police forces—are reportedly undergoing integration processing into Syria’s Ministry of Interior. Cordone may also note the recent release of over 1,200 SDF detainees by the government, in accordance with the agreement. He may further observe, however, that certain issues remain unresolved, including the integration of women’s units and civilian governance matters such as the educational curriculum. Council members are likely to welcome the continued integration of northeast Syria into the central government’s control and emphasise the importance of promoting unity across Syria and respecting the rights of all components of Syrian society.
In contrast to the improving security situation and the re-establishment of territorial integrity in northeast Syria since the beginning of the year, Cordone and Council members may raise concerns about the situation in southern Syria, where Damascus continues to face significant challenges to its sovereignty. On 15 June, following the announcement of the 14 June memorandum of understanding consolidating the ceasefire between Iran and the US, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli forces will remain in Lebanese and Syrian territory, where the country has occupied positions that it characterises as “security zones”. According to media reports, Israel has established de facto control of an area in Syria stretching 235 square kilometres beyond the ceasefire line and the buffer zone established by the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between the two countries.
The Secretary-General’s most recent quarterly report on the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), dated 2 June and covering the period from 14 February to 14 May, reported continued violations of the 1974 Agreement, which UNDOF is mandated to monitor. The report noted that the period was characterised by “the presence and activities” of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) both within and beyond the area of separation, which is the demilitarised buffer zone that the agreement established between the two countries. It further reported that the IDF “maintained and reinforced” 11 positions that it had established on the Syrian side of both the area of separation and the area of limitation, which is a separate zone where military presence is limited.
Ratwatte may brief members on the UN’s inter-agency mission to the southern governorate of Quneitra, which the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) facilitated on 2 June to assess humanitarian conditions and priority needs. He may note that Israeli military activity in the governorate has caused insecurity and disrupted civilians’ livelihoods, including by limiting access to agricultural land in a region that is also facing climate-related pressures and deteriorating socio-economic conditions.
Several Council members are likely to call on Israel to cease its military operations in Syrian territory and to withdraw its forces in accordance with the 1974 Agreement. Some members may further emphasise that the IDF’s actions pose a direct threat to Syria’s ongoing political transition. Some may also express support for UNDOF ahead of the vote to renew the mission’s mandate, which is scheduled for 25 June. (For more information, see the brief on UNDOF in our June 2026 Monthly Forecast.)
Terrorism and Syria’s expanding efforts to counter this threat are another security issue that speakers may raise on Monday. This week, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) reportedly committed two attacks: one on 15 June targeting an internal security facility in Raqqa that killed one security officer and wounded several others, and one on 16 June that severely injured a judicial official in rural Damascus. At the same time, Syrian security officials have reportedly been conducting extensive counter-terrorism operations across the country, including a three-month campaign from March to May that led to the arrest of 235 ISIL operatives and the seizure of weapons and explosives.
On Monday, Council members are likely to commend the steps taken by Damascus to counter terrorism. Some may call for the continued and improved provision of capacity building in this area, including by member states and UN entities such as the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). Several members may also encourage the Syrian authorities to bolster efforts to combat foreign terrorist fighters. In this regard, some speakers may highlight the UN’s upcoming 2026 Counter-Terrorism Week, which will include a 26 June side event on Syria’s approach to countering ISIL, co-organised by the Permanent Mission of Syria, the European Union (EU), UNOCT, and the Monitoring Team supporting the Security Council’s 1267/1989/2253 ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.
Regarding the broader humanitarian situation in Syria, Ratwatte is likely to emphasise that it remains dire despite recent positive developments. He may highlight the continuing effects of years of conflict, including economic collapse and the degradation of civilian infrastructure and support systems. In this context, he may note that the Syria Humanitarian Fund has fast-tracked an allocation of $145.9 million in assistance targeting 3.4 million people, 88 percent of whom are women and children. Ratwatte may further call for additional funding for the UN’s 2026 Syria Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which requires $2.92 billion to support 8.6 million people and is currently only 20.9 percent funded.
Council members are also likely to reiterate calls for increased funding, while underlining the importance of also supporting Syria through investment in recovery and development. In this regard, some might call for the lifting of remaining sanctions on the country.
