Crisis in Syria
Ban to discuss Syrian settlement issues with Lavrov
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Russia on May 16-19 to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
UN praises Qatar role in release of Golan peacekeepers
Qatar played a key role negotiating the release of four Filipino peacekeepers seized by Syrian rebels in the UN patrolled Golan Heights ceasefire zone, UN officials and diplomats said Sunday.
International community must not become 'numb' to atrocities in Syria
The international community must act to stop the conflict in Syria and ensure those responsible for human rights violations are held accountable, the United Nations human rights chief said today following reports of massacres in Baniyas, as well as displacement of civilians due to military build-up in Qusayr.
Syria to allow UN chemical arms probe
Syria is ready to receive a UN team to investigate claims of the use of chemical weapons in the country's conflict, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad told AFP on Thursday.
Syria Welcomes US – Russia ‘rapprochement’
Syria’s state media quoted a statement by the foreign ministry saying Damascus was convinced by the “the firm Russian stance which is based on the U.N. principles of non-interference in internal affairs or the threat to use force against the safety of any state”.
Brahimi welcomes US-Russia accord to spur political solution
The Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the Arab League for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, today welcomed the statements by Russia and the United States that they would work together to achieve a political solution to end a conflict that has claimed more than 70,000 lives over the past two years.
Increasing number of displaced Syrians concentrated near Aleppo, Damascus
Syrians forced by the ongoing violence to leave their homes are often displaced more than once and are concentrating around Aleppo and rural Damascus, the United Nations emergency relief arm today said, as aid agencies faced bureaucratic hurdles and insecurity trying to reach hard-to-access areas.
‘No conclusive findings’ on use of chemical weapons
With its investigation continuing into violations of human rights in Syria, an independent United Nations panel today said it has “no conclusive findings” regarding the use of chemical weapons by any of the parties to the conflict in the country.
UN diplomats: Syrian envoy Brahimi wants to resign
Lakhdar Brahimi wants to resign as the joint United Nations-Arab League envoy to Syria because his efforts to find a political solution to the escalating conflict have failed, U.N.diplomats said Thursday.
UNRWA concerned over displaced Palestinian refugees in Syria
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Wednesday expressed concern over the number of Palestinian refugees displaced by the violence in Syria, a spokesman told reporters here.
