UN Security Council members to visit Syria, Lebanon this week

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Representatives of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) are set to visit Syria and Lebanon this week, the Slovenian mission - which holds the Council presidency for December -  told Rudaw.

The visit to Syria takes place nearly a year after the collapse of the Assad regime, amid rising tensions and growing demands from minority communities for a decentralized system of governance.

“We are undertaking this visit at a critical time for the region and for both countries [Syria and Lebanon]. A year has passed since the fall of the Assad regime, and the new authorities are working to form a transitional government,” Samuel Zbogar told Rudaw on Monday.

Zbogar said that Syria will feature prominently on the Council’s agenda during Slovenia’s presidency.

Syrian Kurds, Alawites, and Druze have all called for a federal system in Damascus. While the transitional government initially rejected any moves toward decentralization, it has since softened its stance.

Negotiations between Kurdish authorities in north and east of Syria (Rojava) and Damascus regarding the future of the Kurdish-administered region are ongoing, with most discussions taking place behind closed doors.

Zbogar noted that the Council will not intervene in internal debates over minority demands for self-governance.

“I think this is an issue that Syria itself must decide,” he said.

Human Rights Watch has extensively documented abuses committed by the former regime against the Kurds, including stripping many of them of citizenship - a measure that left thousands unable to legally marry or travel abroad.

“I believe that when we go to Syria, we will meet with everyone. So we will also listen to everyone’s views,” Zbogar continued. “But personally, I refrain from giving opinions on the internal affairs of another country. As I said, we can always offer advice, encouragement, and support, but the solution must come from within.”

The Council president expressed hope that the visit would help rebuild Syrians’ confidence in the United Nations after years of feeling neglected under Assad’s oppressive rule.

In early November, the UNSC lifted terror-related sanctions on Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab, as the country begins to re-emerge on the international stage after years of conflict and isolation.

Sharaa, who was appointed interim president after Assad was ousted last December, had previously been sanctioned as the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda–linked group.

Since assuming office, Sharaa has been largely welcomed by the international community. He attended the UN’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil, where he met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and several world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron. In September, he became the first Syrian leader to address the UN General Assembly in nearly six decades. Last month he met US President Donald Trump in a historical visit to the White House.

Namo Abdulla contributed to this article from New York