The UN has never stopped working behind the scenes to find a dignified, free and just political solution, even as the fighting has intensified.
Here are some of the key developments in which the UN has played an important role in achieving a just peace in Syria.
2012: Start of serious peace efforts
In March 2011, less than a year after the pro-democracy protests, the Syrian government took violent action against them.
The protests, which began in Tunisia and became known as the first Arab Spring, shook much of the Arab world.
Kofi Annan (1997–2006), who was the UN Secretary-General at the time, was tasked with leading the resolution of the conflict as Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and Joint Special Envoy of the League of Arab States. Syria.
Kofi Annan developed a six-point plan, which called for an end to violence, access to humanitarian agencies, the release of prisoners, the initiation of inclusive political dialogue and unfettered access for international media.
In April 2012, the Security Council approved this plan by adopting resolutions (2042 and 2043).
Under this, the United Nations Monitoring Mission in Syria (UNMIS) was established but ended shortly after in August of the same year due to the escalating civil war.
As a result of the meeting of the Action Group for Syria in 2012, the Geneva Communiqué was published. Many Middle Eastern countries and five permanent members of the Security Council attended the meeting.
The document, passed with the support of both the General Assembly and the Security Council, builds on Kofi Annan’s peace plan and has guided UN mediation efforts for a political settlement ever since.
2014: Geneva stalemate
In August 2012, Kofi Annan resigned from the role of Joint Special Representative and was replaced by senior Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi. This is the period when this conflict escalated into a full-blown war.
In January 2014, then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened an international conference known as Geneva II.
After this conference, representatives of the Syrian government and opposition participated in the dialogue at the initiative of Lakhdar Brahimi.
But in the end no compromise could be reached between the two sides. Lakhdar Brahimi suspended negotiations and did not resume his duties after May 2014.
2015: An important resolution was passed
Lakhdar Brahimi was succeeded by another senior UN negotiator, Staffan de Mistura. A major breakthrough was achieved in 2015 under his leadership.
In 2015, following diplomatic dialogue between Russia and the United States and other key international stakeholders, the International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) was established to discuss an early end to the conflict in Syria.
As a result of the discussions, Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015) was adopted, under which the sequence and timeline of the political transition was established.
This included discussions on the establishment of a credible, inclusive and non-sectarian government and set the process and timeline for drafting a new constitution.
Free and fair elections are also called for under the supervision of the United Nations.
2016: Confronting impunity for war crimes and atrocities
Impunity, i.e. not holding accountable the elements and parties responsible for atrocities, is a feature of the Syrian civil war.
Accountability, one of the core principles of the United Nations, has not only been a challenge for the organization but has also hampered efforts to resolve disputes.
The United Nations worked tirelessly during the civil war to investigate human rights abuses and monitor the activities of terrorist groups:
The Platform’s main resolution on Syria – No. 2254 – adopted unanimously in December 2015, explicitly called on member states to call on Iraq’s self-proclaimed ISIL (Daesh), al-Nusra Front, the predecessor of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). ), reiterated calls for an end to terrorist acts perpetrated by Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
It called on all parties to immediately provide humanitarian assistance in need and release all arbitrarily detained persons, including women and children.
On 21 December 2016, an important step was taken to combat torture by establishing the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) through a resolution of the General Assembly.
IIIM was established to assist in the investigation and prosecution of the most serious crimes under international law, particularly the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
On December 8, following news of the fall of the Assad regime, IIIM issued a statement expressing hope that the Syrian people would finally be able to live in a country based on justice and the rule of law.
“At the heart of future negotiations and efforts by Syria and the international community must be accountability for the past 13 years of untold suffering… beginning efforts to end widespread impunity for almost every atrocity imaginable,” the commission said.
“This must include all crimes such as hospital bombings, use of chemical weapons, systematic torture in state-run prisons, large-scale sexual and gender-based violence and even genocide.”
2024: A new era of hope and uncertainty
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared on Sunday, December 8 that, “With the fall of the long-standing dictatorial regime in Syria, ordinary citizens have an opportunity to move towards a stable and peaceful future.
But he stressed that much work remains to be done to revive Syrian institutions and bring about systemic political change.
Norwegian diplomat Geir Pedersen, the Secretary-General’s special envoy for Syria, appointed in October 2018, called for “urgent political dialogue” in Geneva to ensure a peaceful future for Syria.
“This dark chapter has left deep scars,” he told reporters, “but today we welcome this new beginning with cautious optimism. We hope it will be the beginning of peace, reconciliation, dignity and inclusion.”
Gayer Pedersen also said that there should be no obstacles in the way of peaceful change. “Of course we know that HTS is now largely in control of the country, but it is also important to remember that they are not the only armed group in Damascus.”
Referring to his confidential conversations with the Security Council, he explained how the transfer of power in the country is fraught with uncertainty.
The situation is extremely volatile and the special envoy told a secret Security Council meeting on December 9: “There is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity must be taken by the Syrian people themselves and supported by the United Nations and the international community. “”It should be done.”
Syria and the United Nations
- Syria has an estimated population of 25 million. Bordered by Türkiye, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel, the country became a member of the United Nations in 1945.
- Israel also borders the Golan region in southwestern Syria. Israel has occupied two-thirds of the area since 1967. In addition, after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in 2024, Israel seized the remaining territory in December.
- In the wake of the Yom Kippur War in 1974, the United Nations Observer Force (UNDOF) was established to maintain a ceasefire between Syria and Israel. The Security Council renews the force’s mandate every six months.
- The UN works with more than 200 humanitarian partners to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable through humanitarian relief programmes. Through this, necessary assistance is provided to lakhs of poor people throughout the year.
- Over the past few years, the United Nations has helped build the resilience of affected communities by improving livelihood opportunities and access to basic services, particularly among the most vulnerable families and communities.
- The UN Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF) was established in 2014 to address critical gaps in the humanitarian response. The Fund seeks to expand access through funded projects and responses to all regions of Syria.