At UN, Pakistan praises Syria's post-Assad progress, but warns Israeli incursions test gains

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jun, 2026) Eighteen months after the fall of the long-standing Bashar Al-Assad regime, Pakistan has told the UN Security Council that Syria was making progress and transforming itself towards a better future.

"The wisdom demonstrated by the Syrian leadership in navigating a highly volatile regional environment, while remaining focused on national priorities and recovery, deserve recognition and admiration,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said during a debate in the 15-member Council on the situation in Syria.

In broader context, he said, the signing of the Islamabad 'Memorandum of Understanding' and constructive follow-up engagements in Lucerne, Switzerland, over the weekend, have the potential of advancing lasting peace, prosperity and cooperation in the wider region.

According to UN reports, Syria has undergone major political and social shifts since a popular uprising ousted President Al-Assad in late 2024. The country’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has engaged more closely with the international community and promised accountability for past atrocity crimes, while undertaking significant government reforms.

In his remarks, the Pakistani envoy called Israel’s violations of Syrian sovereignty – namely, its recent military incursions, arbitrary arrests and the destruction of property and livelihoods – as “condemnable and destabilizing” and must be brought to an end.

"The new five-year settlement expansion plan in the occupied Syrian Golan is illegal under international law and must be stopped immediately".

Noting the growing cooperation between Syria and the UN, Ambassador Asim Ahmad said the political transition was "equally important".

"A political transition that is Syrian-owned and Syrian-led, and in full respect of Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity is the best guarantee of continued success."

In this regard, the Pakistani envoy underscored the need for "sustained and constructive engagement" among all stakeholders will be essential to consolidate gains and maintain the positive momentum.

As Syria moves forward, he added, transitional justice and accountability will be crucial pillars of sustainable peace.

Highlighting the "challenging" humanitarian situation, Ambassador Asim Ahmad called for much greater support to fill the funding gaps and advance economic rehabilitation and development

"Pakistan stands resolutely with Syria and will continue to support all efforts for its reintegration into the international community, and for a more peaceful, stable and prosperous future for the Syrian people."

At the outset of the debate, the UN’s Deputy Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Claudio Cordone, said Syria’s strides towards stability and the fragility of that progress now sit “side by side”, calling for continued support as the country navigates a critical period in its transition.

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“The scale of the challenges facing this transitional parliament cannot be overstated,” Cordone told the Council. “New laws need to be debated and adopted, executive actions need to be reviewed, diverse voices must be heard and progress made on the transition.”

He warned that, eight months after national elections, Syria’s People’s Assembly has still not been constituted. “The delay is generating anxiety,” he said, calling for conditions that would help all Syrians feel meaningfully represented.

On transitional justice, he welcomed the ongoing trial of former security official Atef Najib and other defendants charged in connection with the repression of demonstrators in Daraa in 2011. “These proceedings are a key opportunity to demonstrate Syria’s commitment to accountability and due process,” he said.

However, Cordone noted that a draft transitional justice law is needed to cover all perpetrators of atrocity crimes, not only those linked to the former regime. Recent demonstrations in Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor and Damascus demanding accountability for past crimes underscore widespread public frustration on that front. “There needs to be a sense of the past being addressed swiftly, yes, but also fairly,” he cautioned.

He went on to welcome progress in implementing a 29 January agreement between the Syrian Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, but voiced concern over the “complete absence of progress” on the Sweida road map – an internationally backed agreement to restore stability to the troubled southern Sweida province – and warned that calls for Sweida’s secession threaten Syria’s unity and territorial integrity.

“This moment requires ambition anchored in realism,” said Indrika Ratwatte, Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, who also briefed the Council today.

Since December 2024, he said, some 1.6 million refugees and nearly 2 million internally displaced people have returned to Syria. “As people go back to their communities, access to basic services, protection and livelihoods is critical,” he said, also emphasizing the risk posed by natural disasters – including recent flooding that has impacted more than 17,000 people and disrupted critical infrastructure.

Turning to Sweida province, he said the recent violence has restricted movement, limited access to essential services, and perpetuated cycles of displacement for families unable to return safely. “In this environment, more than 13,000 students were unable to sit their final exams this month due to access and administrative constraints,” he said, pointing out that Syria’s long conflict has already disrupted the education of an entire generation.