The United Nations deputy special envoy for Syria, Claudio Cordone, informed the Security Council on Monday that no progress has been made on the internationally backed roadmap for confidence-building and reintegration in the southern province of Sweida, nearly a year after sectarian violence there killed more than 1,700 people. Cordone also noted that Syria’s transitional parliament has not been fully constituted more than eight months after presidential elections, because President Ahmed al-Sharaa has yet to appoint the one-third of members reserved for his designation. The envoy said the delay “is generating anxiety” and that the country needs a functioning legislature to debate new laws and ensure diverse representation, including of women.

According to UN officials, the September 2025 roadmap was designed to restore order and mend relations among Druze factions, Bedouin communities and the central government following the July 2025 violence, which a UN investigation found may have involved war crimes by government forces, tribal fighters and Druze armed groups. Cordone told the Council that underlying grievances remain unresolved, while kidnappings, counter-kidnappings and factional rivalries continue to undermine security. He added that calls from some Druze figures for the province to secede threaten Syria’s unity and territorial integrity. Damascus, through Sweida Governor Mustafa al-Bakour, argues that Druze armed groups have obstructed efforts to restore state institutions and rebuild trust, and insists the government continues to fund salaries, healthcare and infrastructure despite security challenges. Druze leaders, who do not speak with a unified voice, maintain they are protecting their community after last year’s violence and accuse the central government of eroding trust through its conduct during the clashes.

Cordone also highlighted that 13,500 students in Sweida were unable to sit national examinations this month after UN-supported mediation failed to resolve disputes over location and security arrangements, meaning most students in the province have now missed exams for two consecutive years. The broader political transition remains fragile: protests in several cities, including Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor and Damascus, have demanded accountability for crimes committed during the conflict and legal action against figures linked to the former regime. The Syrian government has stated that 5,989 individuals associated with the previous administration are in detention pending trial for suspected crimes after 2011, a figure that UN officials say reflects the complex challenges facing transitional justice amid growing frustration over slow progress.

On the security front, Cordone reported that Israeli military activity continues in southern Syria, including what he described as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Israeli forces maintain a presence inside the area of separation and conduct near-daily incursions involving temporary checkpoints, searches and arrests of civilians. The Syrian government has shown restraint and expressed readiness to reach security arrangements with Israel, but these efforts have not yielded concrete results. The UN renewed its call for Israel to adhere to the 1974 agreement, release unlawfully detained individuals and respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, Ibrahim al-Albi, told the Council that Israel remains “the main obstacle to stability in Syria” despite US mediation efforts, and accused the Israeli government of violating international law and Security Council resolutions.

Humanitarian officials stressed that while positive indicators of recovery and reconstruction are emerging, needs remain high and conditions for sustainable return are uneven. The UN deputy emergency relief coordinator, Endrika Ratwate, said a real opportunity still exists to help Syrians move from survival to recovery, but that sustained humanitarian action, political will and adequate investment are required. The Security Council is expected to continue monitoring the implementation of the Sweida roadmap and the political transition, with no immediate new measures announced.