Guterres to visit Damascus to revive UN efforts in 1st Syria visit by UN chief since 2009

UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ expected visit to Damascus on Friday, according to local media reports, marks a significant diplomatic development in relations between the United Nations and Syria.

The visit is the first by a UN secretary-general to Damascus since 2009, when former UN chief Ban Ki-moon visited the country.

Guterres’ program includes official talks with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, as well as meetings with representatives of civil society and local community institutions.

The visit also includes a field tour to inspect the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), stationed in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, as part of efforts to monitor commitments under the ceasefire agreement.

On Tuesday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres would visit Syria this week at the invitation of its government and meet in Damascus with President al-Sharaa and several officials, including al-Shaibani, without specifying the date of the visit.

UN engagement with Syria

Guterres’ visit to Damascus represents a significant shift in UN relations with Syria after a 17-year gap.

The UN’s return to the heart of Syria is not merely a protocol stop but the beginning of a political and UN-level engagement framework that brings the Syrian state back into direct international dialogue.

It also moves the Syrian file from crisis management through special envoys to the highest leadership level within the international organization.

The first significance of the visit lies in providing UN support for the new transitional phase and emphasizing the principles of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The expected meeting between Guterres and the Syrian leadership, represented by al-Sharaa and al-Shaibani, also sends a political message to regional and international powers that the UN recognizes official state institutions as key partners in managing the political track, potentially helping accelerate the easing of Damascus’ international diplomatic isolation.

Ban Ki-moon was the last UN secretary-general to visit Syria in 2009, giving Guterres’ expected visit added political significance amid the transitional phase the country has witnessed since the fall of the former regime in December 2024.

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Golan file

On the field and security levels, Guterres’ tour to inspect UNDOF forces in the occupied Syrian Golan carries strategic significance.

Amid rising regional tensions, the UN chief is again highlighting the importance of the Golan file, the need for all parties to adhere to ceasefire agreements and relevant UN resolutions, and the UN’s role in upholding international legitimacy.

The Security Council established UNDOF on May 31, 1974, under Resolution 350 to monitor the ceasefire and supervise implementation of the disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel.

The disengagement agreement, signed on the same day, provided for the creation of a buffer zone between Syrian and Israeli forces and defined areas on both sides subject to restrictions on forces and weapons.

The agreement ended the fighting and war of attrition on the Syrian front following the October 1973 war, and UNDOF has since been tasked with monitoring the ceasefire and implementation of its provisions.

After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the disengagement agreement had “collapsed” and ordered the army to occupy the buffer zone and other Syrian positions, including the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.

Since then, Israeli forces have carried out repeated incursions into southern Syria, while the UN continues to call on Israel to comply with the 1974 agreement and respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Humanitarian, recovery efforts

On the humanitarian and economic fronts, the visit marks a shift from emergency relief efforts toward a broader framework focused on early recovery and reconstruction.

By observing the scale of needs in Damascus, the secretary-general’s visit could help revive stalled international funding efforts and encourage donor countries to shift toward sustainable development projects and infrastructure reconstruction, helping create conditions for the sustainable return of displaced people and refugees.

Domestically and socially, Guterres’ meetings with representatives of civil society and women’s groups carry significance for the UN’s vision of shaping Syria’s future.

They reflect the UN’s support for an inclusive political process and the participation of all components of society in drafting a new constitution and managing the transitional phase to ensure long-term stability.

In this context, Dujarric said Guterres would renew the UN’s commitment to supporting Syria during this phase and stress the need to respect its sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity.

The UN chief is expected to be briefed by Syrian officials on developments in the transitional phase, recovery efforts and the impact of years of conflict. He will also meet representatives of civil society and nongovernmental organizations working on women’s issues and representing various components of Syrian society, according to the same source.

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