United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Damascus on 25 July for a three-day visit – the first by a sitting UN chief since before Syria’s civil war erupted in 2011. The visit, described by Guterres as one of “solidarity”, saw him hold talks with President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, and other officials. In a press conference with al-Shaibani, Guterres stated that the UN was ready to support Syria’s political transition, including transitional justice, constitutional drafting, and free elections. He declared Israeli activity around the occupied Golan Heights “totally unacceptable”, insisted the territory is Syrian land, and called for an end to all violations of sovereignty. The UN chief also appealed to the international community to “spare no effort” in backing Syria’s recovery.

Damascus stressed that the priority was reconstruction and urged the lifting of remaining sanctions. Al-Shaibani called for a firm UN stance to secure an immediate and unconditional Israeli withdrawal from areas occupied beyond the 1974 line of separation, describing the visit as marking a “new phase” of transparent institutional cooperation. He added that some 3.5 million Syrians had returned to the country, underscoring the need for international support for voluntary returns and recovery.

Guterres’ trip comes as Syria’s new Islamist-led government seeks to re‑establish diplomatic and economic ties after the December 2024 ouster of President Bashar al-Assad ended almost 14 years of war that killed more than half a million people. Washington has lifted most sweeping sanctions and President Donald Trump has signalled his intention to remove Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. European capitals have also cautiously increased engagement, though the transition has been marred by sectarian bloodshed: according to UN officials, nearly 1,500 Alawites were killed last year and hundreds of Druze in the south, prompting Guterres to call for accountability.

During his stay Guterres is to address the transitional parliament, meet civil society and women’s groups, and visit the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which monitors the buffer zone where Israeli forces have deployed since Assad’s fall. UN officials said the visit aims to reaffirm the organisation’s commitment to a stable and inclusive Syria. The trip is the latest in a series of high‑level visits, following those by French President Emmanuel Macron and other senior UN figures, as Damascus seeks to translate diplomatic re‑engagement into concrete rehabilitation.