President Ahmad al-Sharaa address to the 80th UN General Assembly, 24 Sep 2025 — first Syrian president at UN in nearly 60 years (English translation of Arabic original)

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate,

The Syrian story is one that stirs emotions, where pain is mingled with hope. It is a story of a struggle between good and evil, between the weak and strong, in which there is support by none other than God or powerful falsehood, possessing all instruments of killing and destruction.

I have come to you from Damascus, the capital of history and the cradle of civilizations. That beautiful land that taught the world the meaning of civilization, the value of humanity, and peaceful coexistence, to become a beacon for the world.

Yet Syria, for sixty years, fell under the rule of a tyrannical regime that ignored the value of the land it ruled, and oppressed a kind and peaceful people. Our people endured oppression, tyranny, and deprivation for long years, until they rose demanding freedom and dignity—only to be met with killing, torture, burning, rape, and displacement.

The former regime waged war on our people with the vilest instruments of murder and torture: barrel bombs, chemical weapons, summary executions, prison torture, forced displacement, fueling sectarian and ethnic strife, and even using drugs as a weapon against both our people and the world.

That regime killed nearly one million people, tortured hundreds of thousands, displaced around fourteen million, and destroyed close to one million homes over the heads of their families.

The regime did all this to silence the voice of truth. It rejected every political settlement offered to it and left no path to peaceful resolution. Thus, the people had no choice but to mobilise themselves and prepare for the great historic confrontation through a swift military operation—an operation that brought down a system of oppression that had lasted sixty years with all its backers.

It was an operation filled with mercy, goodness, forgiveness, and reconciliation. A military campaign that caused no displacement and killed no civilians, crowned with a victory free of vengeance and enmity.

We paved the way for the return of refugees to their homes. We dismantled the drug trade that had once spread from our land to yours under the former regime.

And Syria, through this victory, has transformed from a country exporting crises to a historic opportunity for peace, stability, and prosperity for itself and the region as a whole.

Meanwhile, Israeli threats against our country have not ceased since December 8 until today. Israeli policies contradict the international position supportive of Syria and its people, exploiting our transitional stage and threatening the entire region with new cycles of conflict whose end no one can foresee.

In response, Syria employs dialogue and diplomacy to overcome this crisis, and we reaffirm our commitment to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and call on the international community to stand with us in confronting these dangers and in upholding Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

**From the very moment the former regime fell, we set out a clear strategic policy built upon three pillars: balanced diplomacy, security stability, and economic development.**

We filled the power vacuum, called for an inclusive national dialogue, and announced a government of competence. We strengthened the principle of participation and established a National Commission for Transitional Justice and another for the missing, ensuring justice and fairness for those wronged.

We are now proceeding toward electing representatives of the people in the legislative council.

**We restructured civil and military institutions, dissolving all previous formations under the principle of ensuring weapons remain solely in the hands of the state.**

Through intensive diplomatic activity, Syria restored its international relations, forged regional and global partnerships, and achieved the gradual lifting of most sanctions. We call now for the complete lifting of these sanctions, so they no longer shackle the Syrian people or strip them once again of their freedom.

Investment laws have been amended, and major regional and international companies have already begun entering the Syrian market, contributing through investment and reconstruction.

Today, Syria is rebuilding itself through establishing a new state, building institutions and laws that guarantee the rights of all without exception. A land of ancient civilization and culture deserves to be a state of law—protecting everyone, safeguarding rights, guaranteeing freedoms, and fostering life to flourish while turning the page of a wretched past. We are determined to restore Syria's glory, dignity, and honor.

And in continuation of the Syrian story, I declare before you today the triumph of truth over falsehood. "Truth has come, and falsehood has perished."

**Syria is reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world.** This announcement is the echo of a great people's will—a people who forged glory throughout the ages, who rose again from beneath the rubble to restore their rights, their freedom, and their dignity.

I particularly thank Turkey, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, all Arab and Islamic states, the United States of America, and the European Union.

Before I conclude, let me affirm: the suffering Syria endured, we wish upon no one. We are among the peoples most deeply aware of the horrors of war and destruction. For this reason, we stand firmly with the people of Gaza, its children, and women, and with all peoples facing violations and aggression. We call for an immediate end to the war.

In conclusion, the Syrian story has not ended. It continues to write a new chapter, titled: peace, prosperity, and development.

Thank you, Madam President.