United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Syria on Saturday, July 25, marking the first visit by a UN secretary-general since his predecessor, Ban Ki-moon, visited the country in 2009.

The official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani received Guterres and his accompanying delegation at Damascus International Airport.

Guterres’ visit comes more than a year and a half after the new authorities, led by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, assumed power following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad.

According to Agence France-Presse, Guterres is expected to reaffirm the United Nations’ support for the political transition during his visit, which is scheduled to continue until Monday and include a meeting with al-Sharaa. The transition follows more than 14 years of devastating conflict that killed more than half a million Syrians.

Opportunity to Lay Foundations for the Future

Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said the secretary-general would stress during the visit that “the opportunity now available is not limited to recovering from the conflict, but also includes laying the foundations for a future for Syria marked by greater stability, inclusion, and prosperity for all Syrians.”

Agence France-Presse reported that Guterres will meet representatives of civil society and nongovernmental organizations supporting women’s issues. He will also visit the headquarters of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which has been stationed in the Golan buffer zone since 1974 to help maintain the ceasefire between Syria and Israel.

A UN Security Council delegation previously visited Damascus in December 2025. Several senior UN officials have also visited the Syrian capital, including UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi, in addition to other UN delegations.

A Transition Requiring International Support

The UN secretary-general’s visit coincides with Syria’s ongoing transition, which requires international engagement amid UN reports highlighting the country’s continuing need for support in several areas.

Although UN reports have addressed positive developments in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, they have also indicated that this progress remains incomplete in several respects.

The reports state that Syria still needs assistance with food security and the security situation because of declining living standards and continuing instability.

Damascus is also counting on the United Nations to play a larger role in limiting Israeli violations in southern Syria. It hopes the organization can exert greater influence beyond the current role of UNDOF and help restore the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Syria and Israel.

UN Says Syria’s Progress Is Real but Fragile