Security Council Briefings

As we meet today, Syrians in Damascus and elsewhere inside and outside Syria are marking the somber anniversary of the Ghouta chemical weapons attack of 2013 -- a painful reminder of the suffering endured by Syrian civilians, and of the grave abuses and violations of international law that must…

Syria’s transition has been rocked this past month by violence and escalation that led to mass casualties, drained trust, and created more dangers of fragmentation. It is clear that some major course corrections on security and the political transition are needed.

It is an honour to brief the Security Council. Let me at the outset echo the Secretary- General’s condemnation of any military escalation in the Middle East and his call on Israel and Iran to show maximum restraint.

Today, I am briefing you from Damascus where the atmosphere is ripe with cautious optimism and a yearning for renewal following far-reaching international moves on Syria.

I am very pleased to brief the Security Council for the first time in your presence, my dear friend Minister Shaibani. Welcome to New York. Your participation today reflects the significant developments that Syria has undergone in recent months. I appreciate your commitment to fostering regional…

It is less than four months since the fall of the former Syrian regime and the opening of a new era in Syria’s history. The legacies of 14 years of war and conflict and five decades of one-man rule are huge. So are the immediate challenges facing the Syrians today.

It is less than four months since the fall of the former Syrian regime and the opening of a new era in Syria’s history. The legacies of 14 years of war and conflict and five decades of one-man rule are huge. So are the immediate challenges facing the Syrians today.

We are at a very important moment in the unfolding political situation in Syria. Let me first update you on where things stand when it comes to the transition.

Today, Syria seeks to chart a new course following the fall of the former regime just one month ago. Decisions taken now will determine the future for a long time to come. There are great opportunities and real dangers. Syrians and the international community need to get the next phase right, and t

Let me start by reiterating my sincere condolences for the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have lost loved ones over these nearly 14 years of conflict, and my solidarity with the millions who faced displacement, exile, destruction, detention, abuse, suffering and loss through the conflict, and

In the last week, we have seen dramatic shifts in frontlines in Syria, radically altering a status quo that had been largely in place well over four years. The situation is extremely fluid and dangerous. But as I brief you today, a vast swathe of territory has come under the control of non-state act

An increasing number of Syrians find themselves trapped in an unrelenting cycle of violence and suffering, forced to flee from places of refuge now under attack—both within their homeland and beyond its borders. As humanitarian aid diminishes and hostile rhetoric and actions intensify, Syrians are b