Special Envoy for Syria on the situation in the country - Security Council Briefing

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O. Pedersen, today (30 May) said it was “vital” that recent diplomatic moves in Syria “are matched with real action,” as the Syrian people “continue to suffer on massive scale.” Pedersen noted that during the past month there was a meeting in Moscow of the Foreign Ministers of Iran, Russia, Syria and Turkiye; a meeting in Amman of the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria; resolutions adopted in Cairo and Jeddah by the League of Arab States; the establishment of an Arab Ministerial Liaison Committee to follow up on the implementation of the statement adopted in Amman and continue the direct dialogue with the Syrian government; and the Arab Summit in Jeddah, with the participation of the President of Syria. There have also been meetings in Brussels of European and American officials on Syria. The Special Envoy said, “while they have observed recent diplomatic developments, they have not yet seen any improvement in the reality of their lives, whether they live inside Syria or outside Syria.” He told the Council that “if the Syrian Government were to start to address in a more systematic manner the protection concerns of the displaced, working closely with the United Nations, and if donors were to help the United Nations to do more to address the concerns all Syrians have about livelihoods, then this could help to do what we all say we want to do – build confidence, and begin to change realities on the ground for all Syrians – not only the displaced.”


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