New York — May 15, 2026
United Nations Security Council Briefing on the Political and Humanitarian Situations in Syria
Unofficial Translation
Libya Statement on behalf of the Arab Group
H.E. Ambassador Taher M. El-Sonni, Permanent Representative of the State of Libya to the United Nations
Mr. President,
We meet today at a time when Syria is experiencing a state of calm and stability, despite the rapid regional developments and escalation whose impacts reverberate across various countries in the region. In this context, the Arab Group expresses its appreciation for the efforts of the Syrian Government aimed at preserving this stability and keeping Syria away from the ongoing regional escalation. We call for supporting these efforts in a manner that contributes to safeguarding the security and stability of Syria and the region, overcoming the consequences of the past, and establishing a new phase of security and recovery.
Within this framework, the Arab Group wishes to emphasize the following:
First: The Arab Group underscores its principled and categorical position of total commitment to safeguarding the sovereignty, stability, unity, and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic. It reiterates its absolute rejection of all forms of foreign interference in Syria’s internal affairs, or any practices that would undermine its stability or threaten its security. Furthermore, the Group affirms its absolute support for the efforts of the Syrian State to extend its authority over its entire territory and eradicate pockets of terrorism, ensuring the fulfillment of the legitimate aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people to live in security and peace.
Second: The Arab Group emphasizes the importance of concerting international efforts to provide genuine, tangible support to the Syrian Government during this delicate transitional phase, and underscores the pivotal role of the United Nations in this regard. The Arab Group calls upon the international community, the United Nations, and its specialized agencies to provide various forms of support to the Syrian Government, and to cooperate with it in everything that would contribute to completing the transitional path in the desired manner, and support efforts aimed at achieving early recovery and reconstruction.
This support is a fundamental pillar enabling Syrian state institutions to prepare the safe environment and the necessary prerequisites for the voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return of Syrian refugees. In this regard, we express our deep appreciation for the pivotal role played by refugee-hosting countries, and we call on the international community to strengthen and expand the scope of support provided to those countries, as they should not, and must not, be left to bear this heavy humanitarian and economic responsibility alone.
Third: The Group renews its full support for the efforts of the Syrian Government in combating Daesh (ISIS) and all terrorist organizations under their various names. We call for intensifying international cooperation to eliminate this scourge, uproot it, and dry up its sources of funding, while emphasizing the critical importance of supporting the commitment that Syria shall not be a launching pad for any threat affecting the security and stability of the countries in the region.
Fourth: The Arab Group stresses that the security, stability, and unity of Syria constitute a fundamental pillar for the security of the entire region. In this framework, we condemn in the strongest terms the continuous aggressive policies of the Israeli occupation and the repeated attacks on Syrian territory, which represent a blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty, and a flagrant breach of international law and the United Nations Charter. These practices represent a malicious attempt to exploit the delicate circumstance the country is passing through, with the aim of undermining the recovery process and fueling internal strife and divisions.
The Group also condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli occupation’s incursion into the separation zone with Syria and its adjacent positions, considering it an occupation and a violation of international law and the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement. The Group categorically rejects settlement expansion plans in the occupied Syrian Golan, and calls upon the Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities to immediately halt these continuous attacks and violations, and to compel the occupying power to respect international law and immediately and completely withdraw from all occupied Syrian territories, including the entirety of the occupied Syrian Golan, and implement all relevant Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 497.
In conclusion, Mr. President,
The Arab Group reaffirms its steadfast standing alongside Syria and its brotherly people during this pivotal stage, and supports its national endeavors to consolidate the pillars of security and stability, and to move forward towards building a prosperous state that safeguards the rule of law, ensures justice and equality, and protects the rights of all its citizens without exception.