Overview
- United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres visited Damascus on July 25–26, met interim president Ahmed al‑Sharaa, and inspected UN operations including UNDOF, the UN Disengagement Observer Force that monitors the Golan buffer zone.
- Guterres used the visit to call for the immediate removal of remaining Assad‑era sanctions and urged the international community to mobilize funding and development support for Syria’s recovery.
- The UN chief condemned violations of Syrian territorial integrity around the Golan and said the UN will submit a report on those incursions to the Security Council at the end of the month.
- UN agencies say roughly 15 million people need assistance, some 5.5 million remain internally displaced, and the World Bank estimates reconstruction could cost about $216 billion while investors remain cautious.
- Guterres pledged UN support for political transition measures such as transitional justice and elections but warned Security Council divisions and on‑the‑ground security tensions will limit what the UN can deliver quickly.