UPDATES FOR CORRESPONDENTS

28 December - Joint statement by the UN in Syria, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross
26 December - Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Special Envoy for Syria
11 December - International Syria Support Group meeting
24 November: Statement attributable to the spokesperson of the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria
14 November - Statement of the International Syria Support Group
6 November - Statement attributable to the Spokesperson of the Special Envoy for Syria
30 October - Vienna Communique on Syria
2 October - Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson of the Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura
22 September - Statement attributable to the Spokesperson of the Special Envoy for Syria

As part of the implementation of the initiative set out by Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura before the Security Council on 29 July 2015 and endorsed by the Council in its Presidential Statement of 17 August 2015 (S/PRST/2015/15), the Special Envoy and his Deputy Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy met over the last two days with the following facilitators appointed by the Secretary-General to head the intra-Syrian thematic working groups, under the direction of the Special Envoy:

Mr. Jan Egeland as facilitator for the Safety and Protection thematic Working Group; Mr. Nicolas Michel as facilitator for the Political and Legal Issues thematic Working Group; Mr. Volker Perthes as facilitator for the Military, Security and Counterterrorism thematic Working Group; and Ms. Birgitta Holst Alani as facilitator for the Continuity of Public Services, Reconstruction and Development thematic Working Group.

They discussed draft agendas with a view to ensuring coordination and parallel progress of the Working Groups.

Mr. de Mistura has just returned from consultations with Syrian interlocutors most recently in Damascus and Istanbul. These visits complement ongoing OSE outreach to regional capitals and elsewhere. The Special Envoy is now heading to NY to carry these discussions forward in the margins of the General Assembly.

“The Working Groups are intended to provide Syrians with a platform to address in-depth themes that are certainly not new, but have lacked to date sustained intra-Syrian discussion. It is hoped that their outcomes could eventually set the stage for a Syrian agreement to end the conflict on the basis of the Geneva Communique,” Mr. de Mistura said.

While the participation of Syrians is central for this process to move forward, the Security Council has also “emphasised the need for robust international and regional assistance” in support of the efforts of the Special Envoy.

Mr. de Mistura will continue consultations with relevant actors to accelerate such support. “This is the defining humanitarian challenge of our times,” he reiterated. “The Syrians deserve that we move faster towards a political solution”.



13 September - Statement of the Special Envoy for Syria to the Ministerial meeting of the League of Arab States

10 September - Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria
1st September - Special Envoy for Syria met with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Arab African Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran
17 August - Special Envoy for Syria condemned yesterday's air raids on the town of Duma
14 August - Special Envoy for Syria condemns shelling of Damascus Suburbs
12 August - Special Envoy for Syria welcomes the release of human rights activist and journalist
5 August - Secretary-General encouraged by Security Council’s support for latest proposal on Syria
5 August - Special Envoy explains his proposal on thematic discussions
In an interview with the UN News Centre on 30 July, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura explained his proposal of launching thematic discussions through intra-Syrian working groups to address key aspects of the Geneva Communiqué. “One is the humanitarian issue, which means access. People are requesting a format through which access can be guaranteed for many things: medicines, humanitarian aid, food. And there is, of course, the mother of all issues: the political process. And that means how to get into a [political] transition, through a transitional governing body, but do so in a way that you are not actually producing an immediate shake-up, rather, a scenario where you are getting, gradually but clearly, to a different political scenario, where everyone is included. All that can be part and should be part of this working group, so that when the right time comes, the working groups would be ready”, the Envoy noted.

29 July - Remarks by the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the situation in Syria
29 July - Special Envoy for Syria briefs Security Council on the situation in Syria

23 July
22 July
21 July
The UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura expressed deep concern over the situation of the civilian population in the town of Zabadani. Media sources and contacts inside Zabadani have reported heavy bombardment, including by barrel bombs, since Syrian Government forces backed by pro-government militias started a military campaign against opposition fighters located in Zabadani . Reliable local sources have in fact confirmed that a large number of barrel bombs have been dropped on the city causing unprecedented levels of destruction and many deaths among the civilian population.

Armed opposition forces known as the “Army of Conquest” have retaliated by firing rockets and heavy mortar shells on two villages near Idlib, Al Foua and Kefraya, where a substantial number of civilians are trapped.

In both cases, civilians are tragically caught in the middle of the fighting.
The Special Envoy calls on all parties to uphold the principle of the protection of civilians and once again on the Syrian government to halt the use of crude and indiscriminate weapons such as the barrel bombs on its own cities.

21 July 2015, Geneva
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Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura visited Teheran today where he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Arab-African Affairs, Mr. Hussein Amir Abdollahian.

During his meetings Mr. de Mistura underscored the urgency of a Syrian-led political solution to the conflict and exchanged views on how to proceed with a political process, with the support of the Security Council. The Special Envoy took good note of Minister Zarif’s and Deputy Minister Abdollahian’s analysis of the current situation in the region, and its impact on the conflict in Syria. He underscored the absence of a military solution to this conflict and recalled the imperative for all its parties to uphold the principle of the protection of civilians.

Mr. de Mistura’s consultations are part of a rolling process to seek views of all Syrian and relevant regional and international parties on the operationalization of the Geneva Communiqué. In this context, Mr. de Mistura continues to meet separately with regional stakeholders and members of the Security Council. The Special Envoy is working to finalize his proposals to the Secretary-General on a way forward to support Syrian parties in their search of a political solution to the conflict, in preparation for a briefing to the Security Council.

21 July 2015, Geneva 20 July
15 July
14 July
Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura visited today the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, where he met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs Mr. Nasser Judeh. Mr. de Mistura very much appreciated Minister Judeh’s deep knowledge and analysis of the regional situation, particularly as Jordan is providing hospitality to a substantial number of Syrian refugees and is therefore heavily affected by the situation in Syria.

Mr. de Mistura also met Syrian opposition figures who were present in Jordan.

At the end of today’s meetings, Mr. de Mistura reaffirmed the resolve of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to spare no efforts to support the people of Syria in their yearning for peace and change. He stressed that both regional and international powers can do much more to end the raging conflict in Syria.

Mr. de Mistura will continue his consultations with Member States in the region in the coming few days.

14 July 2015, Geneva
13 July
11 July
10 July
2 July
Within the framework of the Geneva Consultations, Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura met today with a delegation of the Syrian National Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces led by Coalition President Khaled Khoja. Mr. Khoja and other members of the delegation briefed on the latest efforts of the Coalition and the situation in and around Syria. They also discussed perspectives for a political solution to the Syrian conflict.

In the coming days, Special Envoy de Mistura intends to travel to New York to report to the Secretary-General on his findings from the initial phase of the Geneva Consultations. He will undertake further meetings in New York and regional and international capitals with a view to prepare for the planned Security Council meeting at the end of July.
26 & 27 June
25 & 26 June
19 June
18 June
16 June
Within the framework of the Geneva Consultations, Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy met today with representatives of the Syrian Federation for Human Rights Organizations and Bodies and the National Democratic Action Committee, Ms. Mais El Krydee, Mr. Mahmoud Marai and Mr. Jwan Alyoussef. They briefed Mr. Ramzy on the overall situation on the ground as well as on the situation in the area of human rights in Syria. They also shared views and perspectives for a political solution to the conflict in Syria.
15 June
11 June
Within the framework of the Geneva Consultations, Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy met with Mr. Mohammad Marwan Al-Atrash and Mr. Habib Haddad from the Syrian Democratic National Block. They shared views on a political solution to the Syrian conflict. They also discussed with Mr. Ramzy the role of the international community and the United Nations in supporting Syrian efforts to end the conflict.

At the end of today’s meeting, Mr. Ramzy underscored the urgency of a Syrian-led political solution to the conflict. In this regard, he stressed the importance of efforts towards unity and consensus among opposition groups.


10 June
9 June
8 June
5 June
4 June
2 June
1 June
30 May
29 May
On 29 May, he met with a delegation of civil society organizations from the United States working on the Syrian crisis. He said afterward that listening to civil society organizations — especially those who work on advocacy and the medical doctors who put their lives at risk every day to save the victims of chemical attacks or shelling — was yet another reminder of the daily realities of the Syrian civilians who pay the highest toll of this conflict. He said it was also an opportunity to reflect on the aspirations of the diaspora. The Special Envoy also met with delegations of European countries, namely Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

28 May
27 May
24 May
On 24 May, Mr. de Mistura met with a delegation of the Assyrian Democratic Organization, and the Syrian Turkmen Council. He shared views with them on a political solution in Syria and the ongoing conflict on the ground. "Today I heard again about the importance of preserving Syria's social fabric and taking into account the diverse views from all corners of the country," Mr. de Mistura said. He stressed that "the United Nations will continue supporting efforts towards an all-inclusive Syrian-led political process."
22 May
21 May
12 May