Historic Shifts Offer Syria A Path Forward

By Vibhu Mishra
21 May 2025

The United States, European Union and United Kingdom have taken steps to ease long-standing sanctions – moves that, according to UN officials, could pave the way for long-overdue progress on the political and humanitarian front, provided they are sustained and inclusive.

Speaking to the Security Council from the capital Damascus on Wednesday, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen called the developments “historic,” highlighting their potential to improve conditions on the ground and allow a successful transition.

“They hold major potential to improve living conditions across the country and to support the Syrian political transition, giving Syrian people a chance to grapple with the legacy of misrule, conflict, abuses and poverty,” he said.

The sanctions, imposed mostly during the Assad era, have long been blamed for hindering economic recovery.

Regional powers including Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Qatar are supporting renewed engagement, offering support to fund public salaries, energy infrastructure and Syria’s obligations to international financial institutions.

National political movements

The easing of sanctions comes amid significant domestic developments, with Syria’s interim government announcing last week the formation of two key bodies: the National Commission for Transitional Justice and the National Commission for Missing Persons.

Both are seen as essential to rebuilding trust and addressing the legacy of enforced disappearances and war crimes that have scarred nearly every Syrian household, Mr. Pedersen said.

He urged continued steps to ensure that the new People’s Assembly is truly representative and that the rights and aspirations of women and girls are protected.

“Syrians also continue to look ahead to the envisaged future constitutional process, which needs to be inclusive of all social and political components in shaping a new social contract and paving the way for the free and fair elections as called for by [Interim Prime Minister] Ahmed al-Sharaa from the outset.”

Crisis on the ground

Despite political momentum, Syria’s humanitarian crisis remains dire. Over 16 million people need aid and over half the population faces hunger, senior UN humanitarian Ramesh Rajasingham warned ambassadors.

Sectarian violence has deepened the crisis, displacing more than 670,000 people since November, among them 15,000 during a recent flare-up in Druze-majority areas of rural Damascus.

The situation has been further complicated by Israeli airstrikes, including near the presidential palace and during the unrest in Druze-majority neighbourhoods.

UN agencies meanwhile face a severe funding shortfall, having received only 10 per cent of a $2 billion appeal for the first half of 2025. Dozens of hospitals, community support centres and safe spaces for women – especially in the northeast and northwest – have already closed.

“The consequences are already visible and will become more so as time passes and as funding cuts take hold,” said Mr. Rajasingham, who is the Director of Coordination at the UN relief wing, OCHA.

Seize the moment

Both officials stressed that lifting sanctions must lead to tangible progress in recovery and stability.

“The Syrian people have taken heart from the fact that the decisions to lift sanctions give them a better chance than before to succeed against great odds,” Mr. Pedersen said.

“They are looking to the interim authorities to seize this moment and push towards a fully inclusive transition…and to all of us to do our part as genuine partners in support.”

US implementing sanctions relief

Speaking for the United States, John Kelley, Political Coordinator at the US mission, said government agencies are beginning the process of sanctions relief and restoring diplomatic ties with Syria.

He called on Syrian authorities to take bold steps and show sustained progress on the clear expectations the US has communicated.

This includes, removing foreign terrorist fighters, cooperate with the US and partners to prevent resurgence of ISIS detention facilities, and making peace with Israel through the Abraham Accords.

“We continue to urge the new government to choose policies that will reinforce stability, protect human rights of all Syrians, ensure peace with Syria’s neighbours, develop Syria’s economy and become at long last a responsible member of the international community.”

Syrians uniting for future prosperity

Riyad Khaddour, Syria’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, told ambassadors in New York that his country is committed to becoming a nation of peace and partnership – not a battleground for conflict or foreign ambitions.

“As countries in the region and beyond extend their hands to Syria, Syrians themselves are uniting across all factions, rejecting extremism, terrorism, and hate speech,” he said.

Mr. Khaddour noted that Syrian institutions are committed to international standards, working to improve the investment climate and advancing economic reforms.

He hailed the lifting of sanctions as a long-awaited turning point, adding that it offers “real prospects” to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and accelerate recovery.

“Syrians have welcomed it with great hope, seeing it as a first step towards restoring normal life, reviving the economy, ensuring food security and returning to the path of sustainable development.”

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