Syria, Lebanon, Sudan & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (21 July 2026) | United Nations

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:

- Trip Announcement/Syria
- Security Council
- Syria/Transitional Justice
- Middle East
- Senior Appointment
- Lebanon
- Sudan
- Occupied Palestinian Territory
- Afghanistan
- Rwanda
- Venezuela
- UNHCR/Mauritania

TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT/SYRIA

The Secretary-General will arrive in Syria later this week at the invitation of the Government of Syria. In Damascus, he is scheduled to meet with President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, as well as other government officials including the Foreign Minister, Asaad Al-Shaibani.

This will be António Guterres’ first visit to Syria as Secretary-General of the United Nations. Throughout his stay in Syria, he will reaffirm the United Nations’ commitment to supporting the Syrian Government and the Syrian people at this defining period in the country’s history. He will also underscore the importance of respecting Syria’s sovereignty, its unity, and its territorial integrity.

The visit will offer the Secretary-General an opportunity to witness both the hope and the challenges of the political transition and recovery, as well as the impact of the enduring of years of conflict. During the visit, he will hear first-hand from representatives of Syrian civil society, women’s organizations and diverse communities.

While in Syria, the Secretary-General also plans to visit our colleagues from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, otherwise known as UNDOF.

We will continue to keep you informed with details of the visit as it happens.

SECURITY COUNCIL

This morning, the Security Council also met to discuss Syria. Claudio Cordone, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, briefed from Damascus and told council members that despite the challenges, the opportunities for Syria are indeed real.

He said the past month has demonstrated both the opportunities and the fragility of Syria's transition. He told council members that important institutional milestones have been reached, but building confidence will require an effective and balanced system of governance, with the meaningful participation by women and all components of Syrian society, continued progress on accountability and transitional justice, and tangible improvements in the daily lives of the Syrian people.

Mr. Cordone also reiterated our support for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition, adding that sustained commitment from the international community, including the Security Council, remains critical.

Also briefing was our colleague Edem Wosornu, who, as you know, is OCHA’s Director of the Crisis Response Division. She also briefed on the humanitarian situation in the country.

Since December 2024, she said, some 1.7 million refugees and 1.9 million internally displaced people have returned to their communities, but recovery is not measured only by how many people return. It is measured by whether they can stay, whether they can rebuild and whether they can survive.

For many families in the country, she said daily life continues to be defined by difficult choices and uncertainty.

She asked council members for sustained and predictable humanitarian funding, investments in the foundations of recovery and finally, she called on them to prevent further instability, protect civilians and preserve humanitarian access.

Those remarks have been shared with you.

SYRIA/TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE

Also staying on Syria, there will be an Arria-formula meeting of the Security Council on transitional justice and the issue of missing people in Syria. Our friend the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, will be briefing.

He will stress that justice and inclusivity, centred on victims, survivors, and the families of the missing, are essential to rebuilding trust and securing a more peaceful future for all Syrians.

His remarks will be shared with you and posted online.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-07-21