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- Geir Pedersen warns the political transition in the country remains at a critical juncture; success requires inclusive governance, international support and end to foreign interference
- He welcomes Syria’s new permanent representative to the UN, and acknowledges the complex legacy inherited by interim authorities after fall of the Assad regime
NEW YORK CITY: The UN’s outgoing special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told the Security Council on Thursday that Syria’s fragile political transition remains at a critical juncture.
Success will depend on inclusive governance, significant international support and a halt to foreign interference, he warned.
And amid simmering tensions in parts of the country following violent clashes over the summer, the Syrian people want to see that abuses are properly acknowledged and addressed in accordance with international standards, he added.
Pedersen unexpectedly resigned on Thursday after almost seven years as the organization’s representative to the war-torn country.
“I wish to let the council know that I have informed the secretary-general of my intention to step down after more than six-and-a-half years serving as United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, and he has graciously accepted my request,” he told the council.
Pedersen welcomed the country’s newly appointed permanent representative to the UN, Ibrahim Al-Olabi, and acknowledged the complex legacy inherited by the interim authorities after the collapse of the Assad regime in December last year.
“They have inherited not just the ruins of shattered buildings but the deeper wreckage of a battered social fabric, decayed institutions and a hollowed-out economy,” Pedersen said. “Syria urgently requires international material assistance … and political stability.”
He stressed the need for broader regional and international cooperation to help revive the private sector and support domestic reforms, reiterated calls for sanctions relief, and emphasized the need for ongoing foreign intervention to cease.
Recent actions by the Israeli military inside Syria, including reported strikes and commando operations, were “unacceptable,” Pedersen added as he called for Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity to be fully respected.
Turning to the situation in the city of Sweida, where hundreds were killed when heavy fighting between Druze and Bedouin broke out two months ago, Pedersen said a ceasefire agreement announced in July has largely held, and recent US-Jordanian-Syrian peace efforts have produced a road map that addresses critical issues such as humanitarian access, reconstruction, detainees and reconciliation.
However, a local committee aligned with an influential Druze leader, Sheikh Hikmet Al-Hijri, has rejected the plan, calling instead for “self-administration or secession.”
Pedersen stressed the need for dialogue, confidence-building exercises, and state action that ensures the protection of all communities, not threats. He welcomed a call by the Syrian government for a UN Commission of Inquiry into the recent events in Sweida as a step toward accountability and cooperation.
He also called for the Syrian national committee investigating unrest on the coast earlier this year to publish its findings, and addressed recent tensions in the Sumariya neighborhood of Damascus, where armed raids linked to interim authority-affiliated security forces have prompted concerns about protection of civilians.
“The public needs to see that abuses are both acknowledged and addressed in accordance with international standards,” Pedersen said.
He underscored the central role of transitional justice to the overall political process in Syria, and offered UN support for national commissions addressing this issue and that of missing persons.
In northeastern Syria, discussions between the interim authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces continue under a March 10 agreement, focusing on military integration and confidence-building. Pedersen characterized the talks as “positive” though the challenges remain significant.
Security concerns persist in areas held by the interim authority, he added, with unresolved issues around disarmament, reintegration and foreign fighters.
Pedersen also called for renewed efforts to repatriate foreign nationals from Al-Hol refugee camp, and underlined the readiness of the UN to support such processes.
He noted that Syria still lacks a legislature and that preparations were underway for the indirect election of two-thirds of the members of an interim People’s Assembly, though a date for this has yet to be confirmed. Pedersen emphasized the importance of transparency and inclusion in this process, especially for women and marginalized communities.
“This must not be an exercise in rewarding loyalty but in ensuring genuine representation,” he said.
He warned that exclusion of dissenting voices could undermine the entire transition, including the development of a constitution and eventual national elections.
Throughout the briefing, Pedersen emphasized the critical importance of inclusivity and national consensus, cautioning that a mishandled transition could plunge Syria into renewed conflict and foreign intervention.
“Viewed by the standard of Syria’s challenges, we can point to remarkable changes in a short period,” he said. “But the key determinant of success has been genuine inclusion.”
President Ahmad Al-Sharaa will attend the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly in New York next week, the first Syrian president to do so since 1967.
“Only dialogue, not force, can unite Syria,” Pedersen quoted Al-Sharaa as saying.