Ahmad Al-Sharaa, from despair to hope
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa addressed the UN General Assembly’s General Debate, marking the first Syrian leader to attend in 58 years. His speech focused on Syria’s history of oppression, its rebuilding efforts, and condemnation of the situation in Gaza.
United Nations
Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa recounted the grueling and oppressive history of Damascus, signaling that his administration can be one of new profound hope for the people of Syria and its diaspora.
In his remarks to the United Nations General Assembly during the High-Level Debate, Al-Sharaa opened his speech by reflecting on 60 years of Syrian oppression under the previous Assad administration. He stated, “Our people endured for many years oppression, subjugation, and deprivation, until they rose up demanding their freedom and dignity. They were met with killing, abuse, burning, rape, and displacement.”
The history of Damascus, he added, is one of change. Once “the capital of history and the cradle of civilizations,” it was reduced under the Assad regime through the subjugation and killing of its population. This was carried out, he said, through advanced weaponry and other forms of violence, including “barrel bombs, chemical weapons, summary executions, torture in prisons, forced displacement, and the fueling of sectarian and ethnic strife.”
He argued that the oppressive nature of Syria over the past 60 years created inevitable conditions for “the people to organize their ranks and prepare for the great historic confrontation in a swift military action.” In the end, Syria was victorious, but with that triumph came the daunting task of rebuilding. The agenda towards rebuilding, he outlined, must address the failures of the previous administration through a “goal-oriented policy built on several pillars: balanced diplomacy, security stability, and economic development.”
The process of renewal and transitional governance, Al-Sharaa noted, has faced grave challenges, many of which he attributed to Israeli actions, describing them as “an attempt to exploit the transitional phase—exposing the region to the risk of new cycles of conflict, the end of which no one knows.”
On relations with Israel, Al-Sharaa reaffirmed that Syria “remains committed to the Disengagement Agreement of 1974” but strongly condemned Israeli operations in Gaza. He declared, “We stand firmly with the people of Gaza, calling for an immediate end to the war.”
Despite the challenges, Syria’s unique history, and ongoing Israeli aggression, Al-Sharaa expressed optimism that this ‘new Syria’ could be one of hope, prosperity, and stability. Since the removal of the previous administration, he emphasized, the Syrian government has worked to establish new state institutions and implement an effective “legislative council.” This, would create lasting, representative governmental stability and provide the tools to permanently eliminate what he described as a “previous power vacuum.” He added that this restructuring process is designed to “protect everyone, preserve rights, guarantee freedoms, and under which life flourishes and the dark page of the past is closed—so that we may restore Syria’s glory, dignity, and honor.”
Al-Sharaa cautioned that Syria’s political and social transformation requires international support. Concluding his speech, he said: “I extend thanks and gratitude to all who stood with their cause, aided them in their suffering, and welcomed them [Syrians] into their lands. I also thank all the nations and peoples of the world who rejoiced in the victory of the Syrian people’s will and who today stand beside them on their path toward peace and prosperity.” With time, effective governance, and international support, Al-Sharaa affirmed that Syria can “reclaim its rightful place among the countries of the world.” However, he stressed that this development requires the full “removal of sanctions on Syria,” a step he argued would give the Arab Republic a fresh start toward peace.
