Syrian President to Address UN for First Time Since 1967

Ahmed al-Sharaa will travel to New York next week for the 80th UN General Assembly.

The Syrian President will attend and address the United Nations for the first time since 1967, with Ahmed al-Sharaa set to travel to New York next week for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly; the trip also includes an appearance at the Concordia Summit and marks his first visit to the U.S. since taking power.

Historic first since 1967

The Syrian President will directly attend and address the United Nations for the first time since 1967. The visit is scheduled for next week during the 80th UN General Assembly in New York.

This will also be al-Sharaa’s first visit to the United States since coming to power following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. The trip underscores Damascus’s effort to re-engage on the international stage.

In addition to the UN address, President al-Sharaa is scheduled to speak alongside hundreds of world leaders and influential figures at the 15th Annual Concordia Summit. Organizers say “this conversation, the first Syrian presidential address since 1967, will focus on reconstruction, participation and partnerships.”

Concordia is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 2011 by Matthew A. Swift and Nicholas M. Logothetis that aims to foster effective collaboration and public-private partnerships (P3) among public, private, and civil society actors.

Concordia’s core idea is that governments, the private sector and civil society organisations should work together to develop sustainable and measurable social impact projects.

Who spoke before 1967?

Syria’s UN membership began on October 24, 1945. The last time a Syrian president personally spoke at the UN dates to the pre-1967 period. Those leaders were:

• Shukri al-Quwatli — Following independence in 1946, he spoke to introduce Syria and declare the end of the French mandate.

• Hashim al-Atassi — After 1949, he briefly participated in the UN General Assembly as president.

• Nazim al-Qudsi — In 1961, he addressed the General Assembly after Syria exited the United Arab Republic and re-established independence.

After 1967, no Syrian president addressed the UN directly; participation remained limited to foreign ministers or permanent representatives. Hafez al-Assad and Bashar al-Assad also never attended the UN in person.

Qudsi was overthrown in the 1963 Baath coup; Nur al-Din al-Atassi served during the 1967 war but did not attend the UN. The upcoming appearance by al-Sharaa therefore represents a significant symbolic shift in Syria’s diplomatic posture.