US Ambassador Dorothy Shea: “Every Syrian deserves to have a voice in how their country is governed”
NEW YORK — The United States has made it clear that every Syrian deserves to have a voice in how their country is governed. In a general UN Security Council briefing on Syria on 21 August, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea told gathered members, that the US firmly adheres to the sovereignty and territorial unity of Syria, but that “it is not America’s role to dictate the form of the Syrian government or the constitution.” This is something that concerns every Syrian. They should have a say in how their country is governed.
The current situation in the Syrian political system is that President Ahmad al-Sharaa holds all the power. He is unelected, directly appoints a third of parliament and indirectly two-thirds, appoints the Supreme Court, and appoints all ministers—there is no prime minister—and none is accountable to parliament.
Shea told the UN Security Council briefing that the after 13 years of war, the Syrian people not just rid themselves of Bashar al-Assad but also want the right to decide their own fate. “The only way Syria will stabilize is if all Syrians have a stake in the country’s future and if they collectively share power. That is why we are urging the Syrian government – and leaders across the country – to engage in meaningful dialogue about their shared future.”
The Syrian people fought for more than 13 years not just to rid themselves of Bashar al-Assad, but also for the right to decide their own fate. The only way Syria will stabilize is if all Syrians have a stake in the country’s future and if they collectively share power. pic.twitter.com/atzyEmBEoB
— Bureau of International Organization Affairs (@State_IO) August 22, 2025
Holding perpetrators accountable
After the massacres of Alawites in the Syrian coastal region and the killings of civilians, Druze and others in Syria’s southern province of Suwayda, the US Ambassador stated that there is no place for sectarian violence and called for calm and ceasefires. Shea brought up the “disturbing findings” of the report on violence against civilians since January by the UN Syria Commission of Inquiry and called on the Syrian government to act decisively, stating: “There must be zero tolerance – and swift justice – for any member of Syria’s military that abuses the trust placed in them.”
According to the UN Inquiry report, the March 2025 massacres and violations perpetrated by members of the interim government’s forces and private individuals operating alongside or in proximity to them, as well as by pro-former government fighters, included acts that likely amount to war crimes: “In a disturbing pattern of killings documented across multiple locations, men were first identified as belonging to the Alawi sect and then separated from the women and children before being led outside to be shot and killed.”
Shea welcomed the Syrian government’s actions to conduct comprehensive investigations and hold accountable all perpetrators of the recent violence. Whether the Syrian government has yet held any perpetrators accountable is not known.
Justice in Syria moves slow these days. Maybe that is why the UN Ambassador warns that “a united, representative Syria requires a consistent, transparent, and credible justice system,” and that that “it is now on the Syrian government to take steps to arrest, detain, and pursue measures against those individuals who committed crimes and who are actively contributing to Syria’s instability.” Apparently all necessary steps, despite the Syrian government’s actions and pledges?
International Coalition against terrorism
In an earlier UN Security Council session U.S. Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea also affirmed her country’s strong determination to fight terrorism stating that the US, since the start of the Trump administration, has intensified counterterrorism operations globally, targeting ISIL and al-Qaida leadership, infrastructure, and financial networks.
The United States is deeply concerned about the continued operations and territorial expansions of Da’esh, or ISIL, and al-Qa’ida. We have intensified our counterterrorism operations globally under President Trump, targeting ISIL and al-Qa’ida leadership, infrastructure, and… pic.twitter.com/F1KqEtkvjG
— U.S. Mission to the UN (@USUN) August 20, 2025