UN envoy for Syria to step down after six years in role

19/9/2025 6:28

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen announced on Thursday that he would step down "in the near future" after more than six years in the role and as Syria undergoes a historic transition following the ouster of former leader Bashar al-Assad last year.



He told the U.N. Security Council that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had accepted his resignation. "It has been my intention for quite some time to move on for personal reasons after a long period of service," Pedersen told the 15-member council. "My experience in Syria has affirmed an enduring truth - that sometimes it's darkest before the dawn. For so long, progress seemed absolutely impossible, until suddenly it came."



Assad was ousted by a rebel offensive in December that ended 14 years of civil war that erupted with protests against him, and 50 years of family rule by him and his father Hafez before him. "Few have endured suffering as profound as the Syrians, and few have demonstrated such resilience and determination," Pedersen said. "Today, Syria and the Syrian people have a new dawn, and we must ensure that this becomes a bright day. They deserve this so much."



During the war, Pedersen was one of several U.N. envoys that led political missions aimed at negotiating a peaceful solution between the Assad regime and its opponents.