The appeal reflects growing international consensus that economic relief and political inclusion are key to securing sustainable peace in post-conflict Syria.

US Permanent Representative to the UN, Mike Walz, told council members that easing sanctions would be “a crucial step in helping Syria rebuild and move toward a democratic and inclusive future.”

He emphasized that President Donald Trump’s recent executive order formally ending Washington’s broader sanctions program on Syria provides a unique opportunity to reset international engagement with the nation.

“Further relief is critical to giving Syria a chance,” Walz said. He called on UN member states to work together in lifting certain restrictions imposed under previous Security Council resolutions, adding that Syria now stands at “a historic crossroads” after the fall of the Assad regime.

While targeted sanctions remain on individuals and entities connected to past human rights violations, narcotics trafficking, or terrorism, the order also authorizes reviews and partial easing of export controls. The US envoy noted that the new approach prioritizes accountability, humanitarian access, and economic revitalization.

Walz reaffirmed that the United States remains committed to a Syria that is “stable, sovereign, and vibrant,” stressing the importance of political inclusion. “All Syrians should have a meaningful stake in the country’s governance. There can be no progress without this assurance,” he said.

UN Envoy Supports Sanctions Relief

UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Najat Rochdi echoed the call for sanctions relief, saying that “lifting restrictions, alongside domestic reforms, is essential for the success of the political transition.” Speaking from Damascus, Rochdi highlighted that sanctions have hindered reconstruction and humanitarian access, slowing the pace of progress.

She welcomed the US initiative to repeal the Caesar Act, a law passed in 2019 that imposed sweeping sanctions on the Assad regime, calling it “a step in the right direction.” However, she cautioned that the political transition must meet the expectations of Syrians, particularly women and minority groups, who remain underrepresented in the transitional parliament and other political processes.

“Women were consistently underrepresented,” she said, urging future elections to ensure stronger participation and safeguard women’s rights.

Progress Toward Stability and Reform

Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ibrahim Olabi, presented an optimistic picture of the nation’s progress. He outlined a series of reforms and initiatives aimed at strengthening governance, accountability, and cooperation with international organizations.

“Syria is present, active, listening, and taking decisions,” Olabi said, describing the recent parliamentary elections as “the beginning of a new era of freedom.” He highlighted that over 1,500 citizens participated as candidates for 119 seats, marking a significant step toward democratic engagement.

He also emphasized Syria’s ongoing cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, counterterrorism efforts, and initiatives to combat drug trafficking — issues that had previously strained relations with the international community.

“Today, we are writing our history with our own hands,” Olabi declared. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the world to partner with Syria as it rebuilds one of the most ancient civilizations on Earth.”

International Support and Humanitarian Challenges

Oman, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, voiced strong support for the Syrian government’s stabilization and reconstruction efforts. The group called for international collaboration to ensure security, restore institutions, and expand development programs.

The UN’s humanitarian office reported that more than 70 percent of Syrians continue to rely on assistance due to ongoing challenges such as drought, displacement, and the remnants of war.

Despite the hardships, humanitarian agencies reach about 3.4 million people monthly, although funding shortages threaten critical services like water supply and protection for women.

Ramesh Rajasingham, representing the UN humanitarian chief, said that “de-escalation, more funding, and tangible investments in reconstruction” are necessary to accelerate Syria’s recovery.

A Moment of Opportunity

Walz concluded on a hopeful note, expressing optimism for Syria’s future. “Syria has before it a historic opportunity,” he said. “With unity, inclusion, and continued international support, the time to act is now.”

He reaffirmed that the United States will continue to back a Syrian-led reconciliation process, support regional peacebuilding, and encourage the participation of all Syrians — regardless of gender, ethnicity, or political background — in shaping the nation’s democratic future.

As Syria rebuilds, calls for easing sanctions are seen as a vital step toward achieving stability, growth, and lasting peace in the region.

Deoband’s embrace of the Taliban foreign minister is dangerous — but also offers an opening.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan and a senior figure in its political and ideological leadership, has recently completed a six-day visit to India — an episode loaded with meaning.

From his informal ban on female journalists, to the cancellation of his Agra leg, and his carefully choreographed stop at the Vivekananda Foundation. Yet, it is his visit to Dar ul Uloom Deoband, the theological heart of South Asian Deobandi Islam, that has invited sharpest scrutiny.

For years, Indian Muslims — particularly those aligned with the Deobandi school — have tried to draw a distinction between “their Islam,” described as democratic and egalitarian, and the Taliban’s brutal, patriarchal regime. Muttaqi’s pilgrimage to his ideological fountainhead has challenged that narrative.

When the Taliban’s foreign minister visits Deoband, and the seminary receives him with honor, it becomes almost impossible to sustain the claim that the Taliban are merely “misguided” Muslims. Why, then, should men who have subjugated women and silenced dissent be treated as heroes?

What emerges instead is a chilling recognition: the Taliban are not a deviation from Deobandi Islam according to the seminary, but one of its most literal political manifestations.

The confusion within India’s religiously-inclined Muslim intelligentsia over how to respond to this visit is telling — and repetitive. Some rush to rationalize it as “cultural diplomacy” or a gesture of goodwill in the national interest, strangely bringing the Muslim right and the Hindu right onto the same page.

Others recoil in discomfort but stop short of open criticism. Deoband’s endorsement of Muttaqi symbolically affirms the very doctrines that have justified gender apartheid, banned girls from education, and institutionalized moral policing across Afghanistan.

This moment is not merely about Afghanistan; it reflects a moral crisis within Indian muslims as well — a refusal to confront its own regressive solidarities under the pretext of religious kinship. The spectacle of Deoband greeting Muttaqi with reverence reveals the unbroken theological thread linking the 19th seminary to the taliban led theocratic governance.

Deoband’s embrace of the Taliban foreign minister is dangerous — but also offers an opening. If the Taliban truly draw their ideological legitimacy from Deoband, then Deoband carries a moral responsibility: to humanize that ideology, to insist that justice and compassion, not repression, define Islam.

The seminary has a proud history of standing against colonial injustice and for India’s freedom. Can it now stand for Afghan women denied education, or men imprisoned for thought?

If Dar ul Uloom Deoband wishes to remain relevant in a plural democracy, it must decide where it stands — with democracy, gender justice, and education, or with those who burn books, bury dissent, and blind the future of half their population.