Syria is not alone in tackling the small matter of hundreds of thousands of people who went missing over the past few tumultuous decades. That was the word on Thursday from Karla Quintana, head of the UN Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic, as Secretary-General António Guterres embarked on his first visit to the country in his current capacity. The institution has processed more than 75,000 documents and shared information with key partners, while also focusing on missing migrants, children, and those disappeared by terrorist group Da'esh after the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024. “Syria knows they don’t have to do this alone,” Quintana said, adding that the institution, established by the UN General Assembly in 2023, continues working to locate missing persons and support their families. The new government has granted some access, but national authorities have yet to allow an office in the country. Still, accessing, analyzing, and sharing information remains key. “We are working to give answers to families,” she said.

Meanwhile, Syria has a historic opportunity to transform one of the world’s largest displacement crises into an inclusive and sustainable recovery, said Paula Gaviria Betancur, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, after an official visit. “Internally displaced persons are among the most affected by Syria’s past, and among those who can contribute most significantly to its future,” she said. Since 2011, an estimated 14 million people have been displaced. While nearly two million internally displaced persons and 1.7 million refugees have returned since December, about 5.5 million people remain internally displaced. Reconstruction needs stand at $216 billion, and 15.6 million people continue to require humanitarian assistance. Betancur will present her full report to the Human Rights Council in June 2027.

Earlier this month, UN investigators from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria urged the government to continue tracing missing detainees and ensure accountability after a week-long visit marked by deadly bomb attacks in Damascus and insecurity in the restive south. Because nothing says 'accountability' like bombs going off while you're investigating.