Pakistan calls on UN to lift sanctions hindering Syria’s peace process

UNITED NATIONS:As Syria’s humanitarian needs soar and aid funding dries up, Pakistan has called on the UN Security Council to urgently give sanctions relief to help build peace and stability in the country following 14 years of a devastating civil war.

“We emphasize the critical importance of easing sanctions on Syria in order to enable economic recovery, reconstruction and reintegration,”  Ambassador Usman Jadoon, acting permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the 15-member Council on Wednesday.

At the same time, he emphasized the need for improvement in Syria’s governance to yield tangible results towards those ends.

The Pakistani envoy said the holding of parliamentary elections for the People’s Assembly recently reflected a move towards greater political engagement and the rebuilding of state institutions. “We also hope that regions, which experienced delays due to security concerns, will soon be able to hold elections, ensuring inclusive participation across the country.”

Equally important on the political front, he said,  was the recent agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led coalition of ethnic militias and rebel groups, and the central government to integrate SDF units into Syria’s national army.

“This development represents a positive and necessary contribution to national cohesion and the restoration of unified state institutions, and we look forward to its full and timely implementation.”

Ambassador Jadoon called for comprehensively addressing concerns over the presence of foreign terrorist fighters through both political and security measures, including the implementation of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) reforms. “We also hope that centralized authority will be extended and consolidated, throughout the country, so as to effectively address the concerning situations including in (the regions of) Suweidah, Aleppo and Deir-az-Zour.”

Reaffirming Pakistan’s solidarity with the people of Syria, he expressed confidence that through concerted domestic efforts and requisite international support, the country will emerge stronger, more peaceful and prosperous.

“We will continue to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process towards this end, respecting the sovereign choices of the Syrian people”.

Earlier, briefing the Security Council, Najat Rochdi, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Envoy for Syria,  underlined the deep sacrifices made by Syrian women and the crucial role they must play in the country’s future.  In December 2024, Syrian women joined the celebrations of a new era, expecting relief from hardship and demands for a durable journey towards the rule of law and true equality.

The country’s interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, affirmed his commitment to that aspiration.  However, in the subsequent months, the transition’s initial outcomes have not matched the expectations of many Syrian women, Mss. Rochdi said.

Welcoming the largely peaceful indirect elections held for the transitional People’s Assembly on 5 October, she said that, while not directly involved, the UN has counseled for transparent and inclusive elections that represent all Syrians.  The 119 members elected so far also include only one Christian, three Ismailis, three Alawites, four Kurds and no members of the Druze community.  More improvements in representation are needed.

“The staggering consequences of 14 years of conflict and over half a century of dictatorship [have had] heavy consequences,” she said, calling for “monumental levels of tangible support” from the international community.  Sanctions must be lifted at a quicker and larger scale for Syria’s transition to succeed.