New Permanent Representative of Syria Presents Credentials

The new Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

(As provided by the Permanent Mission of Syria)

H.E. Ambassador Ibrahim Olabi was appointed as the new Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations on 19 August 2025.

Following the fall of the Assad regime, Mr. Olabi was appointed legal adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, where he led Syria's international legal engagement during a critical transitional period. He was put in charge in engaging with the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons and its Member States to support dealing with the Assad era chemical weapons programme. He advised on human rights resolutions in Geneva, supported Syria's re-entry into multilateral forums, and led legal efforts around the lifting of targeted sanctions. Over the past seven months, he travelled extensively with the Foreign Minister, meeting foreign ministers, presidents, and senior officials to advocate for Syria's reintegration and build trust with the international community.

Prior to his diplomatic appointment, Mr. Olabi was part of legal teams representing governments and civil society in cases before domestic and international courts, with a focus on international law and accountability. He also led a global civil society initiative to develop innovative legal strategies for criminal accountability related to the use of chemical weapons in Syria. In that capacity, he delivered statements at international forums - including an address to the UN Security Council - made numerous media appearances on BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, The Guardian, and the Financial Times amongst others, and travelled across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe to promote justice for international crimes committed in Syria.

During the conflict, Mr. Olabi was also active inside Syria, where he provided legal training on international humanitarian law and human rights, supported documentation of abuses, and worked closely with local communities and practitioners to build legal capacity under extremely challenging conditions.

Mr. Olabi was called to the Bar in England and Wales at the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in 2018.

He holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford, an LLM in Security and International Law, and an LLB from the University of Manchester, where he was named both Undergraduate and Postgraduate Student of the Year.

He is fluent in Arabic and English, with proficiency in German.