For Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, this week's speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York marked a milestone in his career and in the recognition of the country.

"Syria is reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world," al-Sharaa said in New York.

It was the first time a Syrian head of state had attended the United Nations General Assembly, or UNGA, since 1967.

During the following 50 years of iron-fisted rule by the Assad family in Syria, relations with the United States remained cold. Syria was represented at the UNGA by foreign ministers rather than by the head of state.

However, ties between Syria, the US and many Western countries have been thawing since December 2024, when an offensive led by the Islamist militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham under Ahmad al-Sharaa ousted long-time dictator Bashar Assad and also brought nearly 14 years of civil war to a close.

"Ahmad al-Sharaa does appear to be very aware of the need for tangible improvements and the need to now translate wider international momentum into solid gains, knowing that the stability of his government and the country will be directly tied to progress," Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of the MENA programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told DW.

Domestic challenges remain

However, Syria's growing international recognition stands in stark contrast to the continued regional and domestic instability.

In his address to the UNGA, al-Sharaa condemned Israel's frequent strikes "which contradict with the international community's support to Syria and its people." 

While he highlighted that Syria remains "committed to dialogue," he ruled out that Syria would normalize relations with Israel anytime soon.

Meanwhile, US-led negotiations with Israel have shifted focus from pursuing full diplomatic normalization to seeking a security agreement that may include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory and a return to the 1974 disengagement accord (The agreement provided for the continuation of a ceasefire and the separation of opposing troops by a UN peacekeeping force — the ed.).

Al-Sharaa also raised the issue of the deadly sectarian violence against religious and ethnic groups, such as the Alawite, Christian and Druze minority that happened under his rule this year. The attacks allegedly involved governmental forces and aligned militias.

"I promise to bring anyone whose hands are tainted with the blood of Syrian people to justice," al-Sharaa vowed in New York, adding that Syria had formed fact-finding missions and gave the United Nations the right to investigate the killings.

Controversial upcoming elections

Al-Sharaa also reiterated to respect minority rights and to form an inclusive government that reflects Syria's diverse ethnic and religious makeup.

Critics, however, say that Syria's upcoming parliamentary elections lack genuine democratic representation. The vote — which was postponed from mid-September to October 5 — will exclude two minorities from three regions due to security concerns and absence of central control.

Another point of contention is that 121 seats in Syria's new parliament in Damascus will be selected by electoral bodies with strong ties to the president. Originally, there were 140 seats up for election; however, due to the exclusion of two minorities, 19 seats won't be filled for the time being. The remaining seats at the new People's Assembly will be appointed directly by al-Sharaa.

"There is a sense that al-Sharaa's focus on centralizing power under his leadership is closing the space for a more inclusive governance approach that provides space for minorities and a geographical federalisation of power," Barnes-Dacey warned.

In his speech, al-Sharaa called for the complete lifting of sanctions "so that they no longer shackle the Syrian people." In his view, Syria has gone from an "exporter of crisis" to a place of "opportunity" that should not face further international sanctions.

While many sanctions, such as those imposed by the EU and the US after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, were lifted earlier this year, the most stringent sanctions, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act from 2019, remain in place. These sanctions were intended to create accountability for crimes by the previous Syrian government under Assad, as well as his allies, Russia and Iran.  However, their permanent removal depends on the US Congress.

"He has a strong case here in terms of the centrality of sanctions relief which he is successfully delivering through his engagement with the US and which will be critical to opening up economic inflows that the country so desperately needs," ECFR's Barnes-Dacey said.

Poll shows high levels of optimism

"Unfortunately, the change in Syria coincides with a crisis in international development assistance," Bente Scheller, who heads the Middle East and North Africa division at the German political Heinrich Böll Foundation in Berlin, told DW.

"Especially now, when for the first time in decades we would really have the opportunity to support democratic change in Syria, the special funds for Syrian political foundations in Germany are running out," she said, adding that "development cooperation budgets have been cut so massively that in the coming years we will hardly have any funds available for Syria."

Scheller cautioned that this could mean losing a rare opportunity to support democratic change in Syria.

According to the latest Arab Opinion Index from September 18, 2025, 61% of Syrians favour a democratic government. However, for the authors of the comprehensive study across Syria, the most striking outcome was not the call for democracy — which had already sparked the 2011 uprising and was met with a brutal crackdown by Bashar al-Assad, triggering the war — but rather the emergence of a new sense of optimism in Syria.

"56% of respondents believe that Syria is moving in the right direction, and majorities describe emotions of relief, safety, happiness, and hope," the authors wrote.

In their view, these figures "act as a litmus test for the country's political mood — respondents were optimistic despite worries about Syria's potential partition, external intervention, and Israeli airstrikes and ground incursions into Syrian territory."

Edited by: Rob Mudge