In accordance with the decision of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), the United Nations hosted today the first meeting of the Task Force on Humanitarian Access in Syria, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Jan Egeland, Senior Advisor to the United Nations…

(New York, 8 February 2016) I am gravely concerned by reports that over 30,000 civilians have been displaced from Aleppo city and other areas in northern Syria over the past week, by heavy clashes and aerial bombardment by the Government of Syria, allied forces and armed groups. About 80 per cent…

Arabic version The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, met today with Syrian political figures associated with the Moscow and Cairo processes, as referenced in the Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), who had received individual invites. He met separately with the…

Thank you, Prime Minister David Cameron. Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. Never has the international community raised so much money on a single day for a single crisis. The Supporting Syria and the Region conference has been a great success. I would like to thank and highly commend the…

Arabic versionGeneva (3 February 2016)- The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, has announced a recess in intra-Syrian talks as of the end of Friday, 5 February. The talks are to resume in Geneva no later than 25 February, and possibly much earlier. In the interim period…

First of all let me say that my obligation to open these talks on behalf of the Secretary-General in January came from a resolution, a Security Council resolution, well they instructed me to start the talks. We were ready; the agenda has been also ready 2254. I made it clear at the Security Council…

Today, the U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, will issue invitations to Syrian women and civil society representatives, to contribute to the United Nations-facilitated talks, being held in Geneva between representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition. Both women…

SdM: Good evening, you probably heard, and I am sure you did, the comments made by the spokesperson for the HNC. We had a two-hours meeting with the HNC. As far as we are concerned their arrival to the Palais des Nations and initiating the discussion with us is the official beginning of the Geneva…

The U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, paid a courtesy visit today to the delegation of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) at their hotel in Geneva following their arrival last night. The short informal meeting was useful in addressing issues relating to the Intra-Syrian talks…

I will speak in English but we do have also a very good lady who will be doing some interpretation in Arabic when and if there is a need for it. Thank you. Good evening, as you know I have just have had a meeting with the delegation of the Syrian government. The Syrian government has sent a…