Reform Case at the UN
Syria's finance minister took the country's financial-overhaul plans to the United Nations headquarters in New York on 23 September 2026, joining a high-level roundtable on coordinating international support for the transformation of Syria's financial sector. The session placed Syrian officials alongside foreign governments and lenders weighing how to back the effort.
The gathering was organized by the Qatar Fund for Development and the Islamic Development Bank Group, and drew representatives of the US Treasury Department, international financial institutions and development partners.
Pledge Against Sanctions Evasion
The minister stressed that results, not intentions, would define the process. "The real measure of reform success is implementation," he said, adding that Syria would not become "a place for sanctions evasion or illicit financial practices."
He said the government was seeking organized international partnerships aligned with national priorities and was committed to building transparent financial systems.
Agenda for the Sector
Discussions spanned public financial management, banking-sector reform, activating capital markets, developing the insurance sector, strengthening financial integrity and reconnecting Syria to the international financial system. The central bank governor and several ministers took part.
Officials described the aim as rebuilding institutions able to channel investment and public revenue efficiently, after years in which formal finance largely bypassed the country and business shifted to cash and informal networks.
Wider Diplomatic Push
The roundtable coincided with Syria's participation in the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, where President Ahmad al-Sharaa is leading the official delegation. Courting development banks and Gulf funds is central to financing reconstruction and easing the country's return to global markets.
Why It Matters
Access to concessional finance and a credible reform record are preconditions for reopening correspondent banking and drawing investment on a scale large enough to affect the Syrian pound (SYP) against the US dollar (USD). Public commitments made in front of Treasury officials and multilateral lenders raise the cost of backsliding.