UNITED NATIONS, Oct 13 (APP):Pakistan has called on the international community to provide sustained support for Syria's reconstruction and economic recovery for the country's political transition and stability. "A country that has witnessed years of conflict is steadily reclaiming its rightful place in the region and the wider international community," Acting Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Usman Jadoon, told the UN Security Council on Monday during a …
Pakistan urges global backing for Syria’s reconstruction and post-conflict transition
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 13 (APP):Pakistan has called on the international community to provide sustained support for Syria’s reconstruction and economic recovery for the country’s political transition and stability.
“A country that has witnessed years of conflict is steadily reclaiming its rightful place in the region and the wider international community,” Acting Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Usman Jadoon, told the UN Security Council on Monday during a monthly meeting on political and humanitarian developments in Syria.
“Today,” he added, “amid the challenges of recovery and reconstruction, there is a renewed sense of hope in Syria.”
Syria has undergone major political and social shifts since a popular uprising ousted President Bashar Al-Assad in late 2024. The country’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has engaged more closely with the international community and promised accountability for past atrocity crimes, while undertaking significant government reforms.
Noting its renewed diplomatic engagement, restoration of national institutions and gradual revival of economic activity, the Pakistani envoy said these were encouraging signs of a new chapter in Syria’s history.
“Pakistan shares in this optimism,” Ambassador Jadoon said, referring also to the growing Islamabad-Damascus fraternal ties.
Underlining that Syria’s unity and diversity were mutually reinforcing, he welcomed the progress in engagement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led military alliance in Syria, hoping that outstanding challenges, including the situation in Suweida, where sectarian clashes between Druze and Bedouin armed groups have taken place, will be addressed through dialogue, with full respect for Syria’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Pakistani envoy also stressed the need for sustained humanitarian assistance to address the needs of the Syrian people.
Sustained vigilance was required to the threat posed by Da’esh and other terrorist groups, including foreign terrorist fighters, he said and backed Syria’s counter- terrorism efforts, consolidation of security and strengthening of national institutions.
At the same time, Ambassador Jadoon said continued Israeli military actions threaten to undermine Syria efforts to consolidate peace and recovery.
“These illegal actions are not only flagrant violations of international law and Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; they are also profoundly counterproductive to the prospects for regional peace and stability,” he said, adding, “They must cease.”
“We reiterate our call for Israel’s withdrawal from all occupied Syrian territory and full respect for the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement; the occupied Syrian Golan remains Syrian territory under international law, and Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 338 and 497.”
The Syrian leadership is wisely navigating the country’s challenges amidst a complex regional situation, Ambassador Jadoon said in conclusion.
Briefing the Security Council, Claudio Cordone, Deputy Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Syria, stressed that economic recovery is essential to Syria’s transition and stability.
“Success will ultimately be measured by tangible improvements in people’s daily lives,” he said. Welcoming sanctions relief, he urged international partners to translate political goodwill into financing, technical assistance and concrete projects.
Turning to security, Cordone warned that recent communal violence exposed deep grievances, with local disputes quickly acquiring sectarian dimensions. He welcomed a Government initiative to combat hate speech.
Meanwhile, Israeli military activities in southern Syria continue, including shootings and detentions, with 49 people reportedly remaining in Israeli custody, it was pointed out. Reiterating calls to respect the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, he stressed that diplomacy remains the only path to agreed security arrangements.
In Sweida, Cordone said that reduced violence and improved road access stood in contrast to political deadlock and humanitarian concerns, including the education of more than 14,000 students and the return of displaced families. “A durable resolution in Sweida requires a Syrian-Syrian dialogue,” he stressed.
Welcoming institutional reforms, including the abolition of the Assad-era Counter-Terrorism Court, Cordone underscored the need for impartial accountability and reaffirmed support for a Syrian-led transition.
