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Syria transition gains ground with Kurdish deal, but violence and humanitarian strain persist

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A new agreement between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces in the country’s northeast is being viewed by the United Nations as a potentially significant step toward stabilising a region long shaped by conflict and competing authorities.

Briefing members of the UN Security Council for the first time in his role as Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Claudio Cordone highlighted the ceasefire and integration agreement signed on January 30 between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The arrangement, he said, could mark an important turning point if implemented effectively.

Agreement Aims To Integrate Northeast Syria

The deal outlines a gradual process to integrate the military and administrative structures of northeast Syria with the Syrian state. It also contains provisions aimed at facilitating the return of displaced residents and safeguarding Kurdish cultural and educational rights.

Officials say the framework builds upon earlier government measures, including Presidential Decree 13, which recognised certain linguistic, cultural and citizenship rights for Kurdish communities.

Cordone told the Council that hostilities in the region had largely subsided and that work on implementing the agreement had begun.

Security deployments by Syria’s Ministry of Interior have already taken place in key cities such as Al-Hasakeh and Qamishli, while talks are underway regarding local governance arrangements and political appointments.

The United Nations Secretary-General welcomed the agreement soon after it was announced, urging all sides to move quickly to ensure its full implementation. He emphasised that the deal should guarantee the peaceful integration of the northeast, protect Kurdish rights and enable displaced Syrians to return home voluntarily and safely.

Security Council members echoed that message in a presidential statement this week, describing the deal as a comprehensive step that could help prevent further civilian suffering and reduce risks surrounding detention facilities holding suspected fighters from the Islamic State group, also known as ISIL or Da’esh.

UN Continues Political And Humanitarian Engagement

Alongside political mediation, the United Nations remains heavily involved in humanitarian operations across Syria.

The office of the UN Special Envoy continues to engage with the Syrian government and other political actors in an effort to advance the broader political transition. These discussions include implementing the northeast agreement, encouraging inclusive governance and promoting respect for human rights.

At the same time, UN agencies and partner organisations are delivering food, water, healthcare and shelter to millions of Syrians affected by years of war. Aid teams are also supporting mine clearance operations, restoring damaged infrastructure and helping communities rebuild basic services.

These efforts aim to create conditions that would allow displaced families to return home in safety and dignity.

Security Concerns Persist In Several Regions

Despite the relative calm in parts of the northeast, the situation across Syria remains fragile.

Cordone said the United Nations is closely monitoring the transfer of suspected Islamic State fighters from Syria to Iraq. He stressed that legal proceedings must meet international fair-trial standards and urged countries to repatriate their citizens detained in Syria as quickly as possible.

Elsewhere in the country, tensions continue to flare. In the southern province of Sweida, clashes between government forces and local armed groups have caused damage to infrastructure and triggered electricity outages. Protests calling for greater local autonomy have also resurfaced.

In southern border areas, Israeli military operations and search activities have continued. Reports have also emerged of aerial herbicide spraying damaging farmland. UN officials have called for adherence to international law and urged Israel to withdraw from territories it occupies in violation of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.

Participants at a UN workshop on recovery priorities, challenges and response planning /UN

Displacement And Humanitarian Needs Remain High

Humanitarian conditions remain difficult for many Syrians despite some limited improvements.

According to the UN humanitarian coordination office, recent clashes in the northeast displaced tens of thousands of people. Although many have since returned, around 130,000 individuals remain displaced across the governorates of Al-Hasakeh, Ar-Raqqa and Aleppo.

More than 90 percent of those affected are women and girls, many of whom are living in overcrowded camps or staying with host families already facing economic hardship.

Heavy flooding this week in Idlib and northern Latakia further compounded the crisis, killing two children and destroying or damaging around 2,000 tents sheltering displaced families.

Still, aid groups say access to some areas is gradually improving. UN teams have reached around 200,000 people in recent weeks, delivering assistance through more than 170 aid convoys.

Electricity supply has also reportedly resumed in the town of Ain al-Arab, also known as Kobane, following repairs to damaged infrastructure.

Political Transition Moves Forward

Attention is now turning to the next stage in Syria’s political transition: the formation of a new People’s Assembly.

Elections for most seats were held in October 2025, though additional seats, including those representing Raqqa, remain to be filled. Confirmation is still awaited regarding the appointment of 70 members by President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the date of the assembly’s opening session.

Cordone stressed that the success of the transition would depend on meaningful representation from Syria’s diverse communities and regions.

He also underscored the need to address long-standing issues such as the fate of missing persons and mechanisms for transitional justice.

Highlighting the contributions of Syrian women throughout years of conflict, the UN envoy said their participation in politics and civil society would be essential for building a more inclusive and stable future.

He concluded his remarks by praising the resilience of the Syrian people and expressing hope that continued cooperation between Syria and the United Nations would help lay the foundations for lasting peace and recovery.

Celebrating youth: ‘When young people take the lead, everyone gains’

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But after a decade of armed conflict and amidst a severe economic depression, educational toy imports have become way too expensive for many classrooms in Yemen.

Shadia and Fatima, two young entrepreneurs in Yemen, identified this gap after participating in a training course run by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). They decided to begin a youth-led business called Dorri which would create sensory learning tools from locally sourced wood and fabric.

Alone, Dorri will not bring peace to Yemen, nor will it single handedly solve the fact that over a third of youth in Yemen are unemployed. But, according to one of the principals whose kindergarten received the toys, Dorri represents the creative potential of Yemen’s youth.

“When young people take the lead, everyone gains — children, families, schools and entire communities,” the principal said.

Youth in peacebuilding

August 12 is the International Day of Youth, a day which highlights the integral role that 1.9 billion young people worldwide play in creating sustainable futures.

This year, the day is particularly significant according to Felipe Paullier, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, because it coincides with other notable dates, including the 10th anniversary of a Security Council resolution affirming the vital role that youth play in advancing peace.

“Young people are leading change with purpose, from local campaigns to global peace efforts, building trust between cultures and creating lasting impact,” Mr. Paulier said.

Creating prosperous livelihoods

By 2050, the people who are currently under 25 will compose over 90 per cent of the global workforce, making their training and education vital to the economy and a prosperous peace.

However, in contexts plagued by conflict or in communities which face displacement, this training and education can be next to impossible to achieve.

Elijah, a Sudanese refugee who is now 27, arrived at a refugee camp in Kenya in 2015 after fleeing violence in his home country. Education proved impossible for him – while he tried to attend school for a few years, he ultimately dropped out because he could not afford the school fees.

But training was very feasible: in his informal facility – which specialises in electronic repair – he has already trained 15 young people like himself. He still hopes to do more.

“My dream is to open the biggest electronics repair facility in Kakuma that will serve the community and also empower young people without a source of livelihood to take care of themselves,” Elijah said.

An intergenerational approach

Mr. Paullier emphasised that empowering youth at a local level must entail more than just supporting initiatives like Elijah’s – rather, genuine empowerment lies in “real trust.”

“Meaningful youth participation means engaging youth as equal partners. It means intergenerational collaboration because investing in youth is not just about the future. It is about the world we live in today,” he said.

In Myanmar, this sort of intergenerational knowledge exchange has taken on a unique form – theatre. Ongoing conflict in this country has upended many livelihoods and created ripe conditions for gender-based violence.

A group of 18 young people in Mon State have formed a performance group which doubles as an educational initiative. Together, they write, direct and put on plays for neighbouring communities of all ages which discuss themes like domestic abuse.

At one performance about ongoing domestic violence, an elderly woman in the front row turned to her neighbour.

“This is my story too,” she said.

Through these performances, the young people have created a forum for an intergenerational conversation: “We’re not just performers — we are community educators, and this stage is our platform for change,” said La Min Cho, one of the performers.

Sudanese refugees in the UN-run transit centre in Renk, South Sudan.

Danger of tokenism

Despite the Security Council’s resolution, young people tend to remain excluded from policy-making decisions. Or if they are included, their participation is sometimes “tokenistic.”

Areej Hussein, the founder of a grassroots feminist organization in Sudan, has experienced the frustration of having her advocacy simply be a symbol for those in power.

“Women and girls are not just victims of war – we are peacebuilders…Enough of using women as slogans. It is time to truly listen to their leadership,” she said.

Ms Hussein has worked to change this in Sudan by mobilising women from all walks of life and empowering them to tell their stories.

And she is not alone – many young people are working around the world to change this. But for each of them, their approach to affecting real change is slightly different.

For Shadia and Fatima, it was tactile toys. Elijah inspires refugees…And for Yie Tone, the answer was theatre. “We may not have the power to change policies, but we do have the power on this stage to change our communities to a safe and equal society,” Mr. Tone said.

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Global push to end plastic pollution gains ground in Nice

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Away from the cameras and fanfare of the Third UN Ocean Conference under way in the coastal French city, they voiced a shared determination to finalize this year a global treaty that could, for the first time, regulate plastics across their entire life cycle.

“There is renewed commitment to conclude the treaty in August,” Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, who attended the meeting and is leading the treaty negotiations, told UN News. “This is too urgent an issue to be left for the future.”

Hosted by Inger Andersen, the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the informal gathering marked a quiet but significant diplomatic moment – a sign that after two years of deliberations, political momentum may finally be catching up with scientific alarm.

With one round of talks remaining – scheduled from August 5 to 14 in Geneva – negotiators are now under pressure to deliver the first legally binding treaty aimed at tackling plastic pollution across production, consumption, and waste.

A crisis accelerating in plain sight

Plastic waste has infiltrated nearly every ecosystem on Earth, and increasingly in the form of microplastics – the human body. Without urgent action, the amount of plastic entering the ocean each year could reach 37 million metric tons by 2040, according to UN estimates.

“We are choking with plastic,” Ms. Mathur-Filipp said. “If we do not do something to tackle plastic pollution, we will not have a single ecosystem left, whether it’s terrestrial or marine.”

The economic toll is no less staggering. Between 2016 and 2040, the projected cost of plastic-related damage could reach $281 trillion. “It is costing the economy a lot,” said the Indian native. “In tourism, in beach clean-up, in lack of fish for fishing folk, coastal damage, wetlands damage.”

Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution.

The final stretch in Geneva

The treaty process was launched in 2022, at the request of the UN Environment Assembly, the world’s highest decision-making body on environmental issues. Since then, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) has convened five times in less than two years – an unusually rapid timeline by UN standards.

“We have had five sessions very rapidly from December of 2022 to December of 2024,” said Ms. Mathur-Filipp, who serves as the INC’s Executive Secretary. She hopes the upcoming session this August in Geneva will mark the treaty’s conclusion.

A key breakthrough came six months ago at the last round of talks in Busan, South Korea, where delegates produced a 22-page “Chair’s text,” outlining the draft treaty’s basic structure.

“It has 32 or 33 articles in it, with names of articles, so countries can now start seeing what this treaty will look like,” she explained. “They have started speaking with article numbers for negotiation… and this is why my hope is that there would be a conclusion.”

A treaty with teeth – and flexibility

While the draft treaty is still under negotiation, it includes measures that would target the entire life cycle of plastic – from upstream production to downstream waste. It reflects both mandatory and voluntary provisions, in line with the original UN mandate.

The current draft also includes the institutional architecture of a typical multilateral treaty: the ratification process, governance rules, and proposed implementation bodies.

“It has an objective. It has a preamble,” said Ms. Mathur-Filipp. “It looks like a treaty.”

If all goes according to plan, the final text will be submitted to a diplomatic conference – later this year or in early 2026 – where governments can formally adopt it and begin the ratification process.

Unequal burdens, global stakes

Although plastic pollution is a global issue, some countries – especially small island developing states – bear a disproportionate burden.

“It is a fact that small island developing states are not the ones that are using plastic as much as what’s flowing onto their shores and therefore, they become responsible for beach clean-up, which is not their doing,” Mathur-Filipp said. “They are unfairly impacted.”

An estimated 18 to 20 per cent of global plastic waste ends up in the ocean.

One diplomat’s mission

Before leading the INC, Ms. Mathur-Filipp worked at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, where she helped shape the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the 2022 agreement to protect 30 per cent of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030. The challenge of managing a fast-moving, high-stakes negotiation is familiar terrain.

“I wasn’t tired enough there, so now I’m doing this,” she said.

As the Mediterranean UNOC3 host city plays its part in building momentum, all eyes will, in the weeks ahead, turn to Geneva. The outcome in August could determine whether the world takes a decisive step toward curbing the plastic crisis – or allows it to deepen, unchecked.