UN Secretary-General calls for urgent action on Syria crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged all parties involved in the Syrian conflict to engage seriously with his Special Envoy, Geir Pedersen, to develop a new, inclusive approach to resolving the crisis, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).

Addressing reporters outside the Security Council on Thursday, Guterres expressed deep concern over Syria's "grave and dramatic developments," particularly the recent offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in government-controlled areas, which has put tens of thousands of civilians at risk.

He emphasised the need for immediate humanitarian access to all civilians in need and called for the resumption of the UN-facilitated political process to end the violence.

Guterres also highlighted the failure of previous de-escalation efforts and stressed that all parties are obligated under international law to protect civilians.

He urged global actors to do their part for the suffering people of Syria and for the stability of the region and beyond.