Guterres arrives in Syria in first visit by UN secretary-general since the war
UN Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Syria on Saturday, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), in a visit during which he intends to reaffirm support for the country during the transitional phase to build a “more stable and inclusive state.”
This marks the first visit by a UN Secretary-General to Syria since his predecessor, Ban Ki-moon, visited in 2009. It comes more than a year and a half after the new authorities led by Ahmed al-Sharaa came to power, following the overthrow of the regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
Guterres is expected to reaffirm UN support for the political transition during his visit, which runs until Monday and includes a meeting with al-Sharaa, more than 13 years after the onset of a devastating conflict that has claimed the lives of more than half a million Syrians.
Stefan Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres, said the Secretary-General would emphasize during the visit that “the opportunity currently available is not limited to recovering from the conflict, but also includes laying the foundations for a future for Syria characterized by greater stability, inclusiveness, and prosperity for all Syrians.”
The international community has long urged al-Sharaa, since his arrival in Damascus, to build strong and effective institutions and establish governance that enhances pluralism and includes all components of Syrian society.
On Tuesday, Claudio Cordoni, Deputy Special Envoy of the UN to Syria, said that Guterres would reaffirm from Damascus the “UN’s commitment to supporting the Syrian government and the Syrian people in this critical stage of Syria’s history.”
In addition to meeting with al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, Guterres plans to meet with representatives of civil society and non-governmental organizations advocating for women’s issues, and to visit the headquarters of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which has been stationed in the Golan buffer zone since 1974, to ensure the maintenance of the ceasefire between Israel and Syria.
