Syria Archives - Career Meaning

‘Brighter future hangs in the balance’ in Syria after 14 years of war

·March 17, 2025·1 min read

The announcement comes as Syria marks 14 years since peaceful protests were met with brutal repression, igniting a conflict that has displaced millions and left the country in ruins. While the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 initially raised hopes for stability, fresh violence is threatening these fragile...

‘Bring them home’: UN experts call for repatriating detained Syria children

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·April 1, 2023·2 min read

Children in conflict zones must be protected, not punished, said the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, together with Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, UN Special Rapporteur on the protection and promotion of human rights while countering terrorism, in a joint statement. “It is now time to bring them home,”...

‘Genuine progress’ towards political solution, essential to end war in Syria: UN envoy

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·December 21, 2023·3 min read

Briefing ambassadors at the Security Council, Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria, noted that though there have been some diplomatic breakthroughs none led to tangible changes on the ground for civilians. He also raised the alarm over the impact on the region of the devastating Israel-Palestine crisis. On top...

‘Repeated bouts of violence’ put Syria rebuilding at risk: Independent rights investigator

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·October 31, 2025·3 min read

In December 2024, the Bashar Al-Assad regime was toppled by a coalition of opposition groups, led by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham militia, leading to a widespread outpouring of relief that the civil war, lasting over decade, had come to an end – signalling the return of over a million Syrian...

‘Time for bold moves’: UN urges inclusive transition as Syria marks 14 years of conflict

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·March 15, 2025·3 min read

UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen called for an immediate end to hostilities and urged all parties to protect civilians in accordance with international law. “What began as a plea for reform was met with staggering brutality, leading to one of the most harrowing conflicts of our time,” he...

‘Worrying reports’ continue of abductions and disappearances in Syria

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·November 7, 2025·1 min read

“Eleven months after the fall of the former government in Syria, we continue to receive worrying reports about dozens of abductions and enforced disappearances,” Spokesperson Thameen Al-Keetan said at a press briefing in Geneva. Syria is undergoing a political transition following the overthrow of the Assad regime in December 2024 and 13 years of brutal civil...

Aid trucks deliver food to northwest Syria

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·January 2, 2025·1 min read

UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reported that the cross-border operation from Türkiye into the northwest is running without impediments. On Tuesday, 21 trucks carrying 500 metric tonnes of food – enough for 175,000 people – from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) crossed into Idlib through the Bab Al-Hawa border...

Deadly Syria earthquake provides chance to move forward: UN envoy

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·March 24, 2023·4 min read

War-torn Syria and neighbouring Türkiye were rocked by twin earthquakes on 6 February, which killed more than 56,000 people and caused widespread destruction, displacing millions. “The situation today is so unprecedented that it calls for leadership, bold ideas and a cooperative spirit,” said Mr. Pedersen, speaking via videoconference from...

Despite the fall of Assad, the illicit drug trade in Syria is far from over

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·June 26, 2025·3 min read

Despite the current government’s hostility to the trade, the country remains a hub for the production and distribution of the drug. During the country’s long-running civil war, the Assad regime was hit by sanctions and diplomatic isolation, and the trade in Captagon is believed to have brought in billions of...

Escalating violence in Syria raises fear of ‘large-scale war’

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·September 11, 2024·2 min read

After over a decade of brutal fighting, the Commission Chair, Paulo Pinheiro, said that deadly dynamics are causing new waves of hostilities. “The recent direct fighting in northeast Syria around Deir-ez-Zor between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the one hand and Arab tribes, Government forces and Iran-backed militia...

Forging Peace in Syria: Great opportunities, grave risks

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·December 11, 2024·6 min read

As the fighting intensified, the UN never stopped working behind the scenes to bring about a political solution that would deliver dignity, freedom and justice for the Syrian people. Here are some of the key developments where the UN has played a significant role towards a just peace in Syria....

Fresh diplomatic gains must match action on the ground in Syria to end war

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·May 31, 2023·5 min read

“It is vital that the recent diplomatic moves are matched with real action,” said Geir Pedersen, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, briefing the Security Council on recent political and humanitarian developments. A range of diplomatic initiatives have quickened the pace towards finding solutions on, among other things, continuing...