António Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday for the first visit by a serving United Nations secretary-general to Syria since before the country’s civil war erupted in 2011. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani received him at the airport, and he later met President Ahmed al-Sharaa, state media reported. “I have just arrived in Damascus for a visit of solidarity,” Guterres wrote on social media platform X, adding that the UN “stands with Syria at this pivotal moment” and urging the international community to “spare no effort to support the people of Syria.”

The UN chief’s presence is, according to his spokesman, intended to underline that the country has an opportunity not only to recover from conflict but also to lay foundations for a more stable, inclusive and prosperous future. The visit forms part of a broader effort by Mr Sharaa’s government to re-establish diplomatic ties and rebuild an economy shattered by nearly 14 years of war and decades of isolation under the Assad family. Western capitals have cautiously engaged: Washington has lifted most sweeping sanctions and President Donald Trump has signalled he intends to remove Syria from the state sponsors of terrorism list. Yet the transitional period has been scarred by recurring sectarian bloodshed—including the killing of close to 1,500 Alawites last year and hundreds of Druze months later—testing the Islamist-led administration’s pledges to protect religious minorities. Guterres has previously expressed alarm and called for accountability.

Guterres is also expected to visit the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) which has monitored a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces since 1974. Israel sent troops into the zone and beyond after the fall of Assad, arguing it must establish a security zone and demilitarised area. Damascus demands a full Israeli withdrawal and a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement. The two sides have held direct talks and agreed to establish a coordination mechanism under US pressure, though Israeli military strikes on Syrian targets continue and have drawn UN and Western condemnation. Viewed from Jerusalem, the military moves are presented as defensive measures; many in the Arab world see them as an occupation of Syrian territory.

The secretary-general is scheduled to address Syria’s new transitional parliament and meet civil society representatives and women’s groups. His visit follows that of other senior UN officials and a Security Council delegation, and is seen by diplomats in New York as a signal that the world body is prepared to accompany the political transition despite deep uncertainties. The dossier remains fragile: security challenges, an economy in ruins and the unresolved status of Israeli-held areas temper the optimism that accompanied Sharaa’s outreach. The UN General Assembly is likely to receive a report on the mission in the coming weeks, while the Security Council will weigh further steps on the peacekeeping mandate and the broader political track.