Tomorrow morning (18 December), the Security Council will hold its monthly open briefing and closed consultations on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya are the anticipated briefers. A woman civil society representative is also expected to brief.
Prior to the briefing on Syria, an open briefing will be held on the Council’s 3-7 December visiting mission to Lebanon and Syria. The Permanent Representatives of Algeria, Denmark, and Slovenia will brief in their national capacities as co-leads of the visiting mission. The Council spent one day (4 December) in Damascus, Syria (the first time the Council had visited the country) and then travelled to Lebanon, where members spent two days (5 and 6 December).
During the meeting, Council members are expected to reflect on the significance of the one-year anniversary since rebel forces led by Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa ousted the prior Bashar al-Assad government on 8 December 2024. Speakers may affirm that the new political context in Syria represents a moment of hope for the people of the country, providing an opportunity for an inclusive Syrian-owned and led transition, which meets the aspirations of all Syrians.
Echoing an 8 December statement by Secretary-General António Guterres, DiCarlo may emphasise the UN’s commitment to work with Syrians to ensure the success of the transition and assist the interim government in navigating transitional challenges.
Members are likely to share impressions from their recent visit to the country. Some Council members may underscore how the visiting mission served as a vehicle to build trust between the Council and the interim Syrian government. Despite being in Damascus for only a day, Council members had a busy agenda, meeting multiple relevant interlocutors and stakeholders. These included President Sharaa, interim foreign minister Assad al-Shibani, and other ministers of the interim government; officials from the UN country team; and civil society representatives, including religious leaders and communities affected by intercommunal violence earlier this year. Council members also met with representatives from the national committees set up to investigate violence and a commission on missing persons in the country. During the visiting mission, Ambassador Samuel Žbogar (Slovenia)—one of the co-leads, and also Council president in December—said that the trip to Syria centred on transitional issues (related to justice, reconciliation, and economic rehabilitation); humanitarian issues; counterterrorism; and “the need for Syria not to be a source of threat to the security of other countries”, among other issues. He added that the aim of the mission was to demonstrate the international community’s solidarity with and support for Syria and affirmed that the UN, including the Security Council, stands ready to support the country towards its path to a better future.
During the visit, Permanent Representative of Syria to the UN Ibrahim Olabi reportedly told Syrian media that discussions between the Council and Sharaa also focused on his vision for the country’s future, the continued Israeli attacks in Syria, and the impact of sanctions. Olabi further emphasised that the visit marks a shift towards consensus on the Syria file within the Council, following years of division. In a statement on the same day, Shibani said that the visit represents “a historic moment for rebuilding trust with the international community for the Syrian people”.
Looking back at the year’s developments, DiCarlo and other speakers are likely to refer to positive steps taken by the Syrian interim government, such as the signing of the transitional constitutional declaration and formation of the interim government in March, and the holding of indirect elections for Syria’s interim legislature in October. Speakers may also refer to the interim government’s efforts to pursue accountability and national reconciliation—following over a decade of civil war and episodes of inter-communal violence—including fact-finding committees tasked with investigating violence perpetrated against minorities in coastal Syria and in Suweida governorate earlier this year. Msuya may also highlight progress on the humanitarian front, including improved access for the UN and humanitarian partners, and signs of recovery in certain regions of the country.
Council members may speak of and welcome international efforts to lift sanctions imposed on Syria. The US, and other speakers, may refer to moves being made to repeal sanctions imposed by the US’ Caesar Act during the Assad-era. On 11 December, the US House of Representatives’ voted in favour of a defence policy bill which included provisions to repeal the sanctions. Council members may also refer to the Council’s adoption of resolution 2799 of 6 November, which removed both Sharaa and Syrian Interior Minister Anas Hassan Khattab from the 1267/1989/2253 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and Al-Qaida sanctions list.
Speakers at tomorrow’s meeting are also likely to recognise that Syria still faces several significant challenges which pose risks to efforts towards a successful political transition, and more broadly, to securing the country’s unity and stability. Some members may highlight areas where they would like to see progress from the interim government, including with regard to inclusivity in transitional bodies, improved transparency on accountability processes, and comprehensive engagement with Syrian civil society, notably through the meaningful participation of women. The civil society briefer is likely to underscore the critical role of civil society in shaping and influencing Syria’s political transition.
On the security front, the dangers posed by terrorism and ISIL/Da’esh remains a serious threat for Syria. Council members are likely to refer to the 13 December attack by a gunman on a joint meeting between US and Syrian forces in Palmyra, in central Syria. The attack reportedly killed two US soldiers and one civilian US interpreter, while wounding three other US soldiers and two Syrian security personnel. In a 13 December statement, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, attributed the attack to an ISIL gunman, and US President Dondald Trump vowed “serious retaliation” against the group in a post on the platform Truth Social.
US and Syrian authorities have recently stepped up their coordination on counterterrorism operations, amid improved relations between the two countries. Tomorrow, several Council members are likely to reiterate condemnations of acts of terror and emphasise the importance of countering all forms of terrorism in Syria, including the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters.
Several Council members are also expected to condemn and raise concerns on the continued threats posed by Israeli operations in Syrian territory. On 28 November an Israeli raid and airstrikes on the town of Beit Jinn in southern Syria, reportedly killed 13 people, including two children, and wounded 25. That same day, the Syrian Permanent Mission to the UN sent identical letters to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, condemning the attack as a “fully-fledged war crime” and calling on the Council to end Israel’s “policy of aggression” and withdraw from Syrian territory to lines agreed between the two countries in the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement. Israel said that the attack on Beit Jinn was focused on anti-Israel militants. In the meeting, some Council members are expected call on both parties to reduce tensions, abide by the 1974 Agreement, and respect the mandate and role of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) which will be due for renewal the next day (19 December).
Another security concern which Council members are likely to mention in their statements is the implementation of the 10 March agreement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the interim government. The agreement aims for the Kurdish forces—who de facto control a large, resource-rich area in northeast Syria—to integrate into the new government’s military and civil institutions by the end of the year. Implementation of the agreement has been difficult, however, as the SDF has criticised the interim government’s actions in the past year for lacking inclusivity and undermining national unity, calling for a comprehensive national dialogue.
Tags: Insights on the Middle East, Syria
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