Annan gets key Syrian conflict role

Former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan has been appointed the joint United Nations-Arab League envoy on the Syrian crisis with a mandate to bring an end to the violence and promote a peaceful political solution.

Mr Annan’s successor, secretary general Ban Ki-Moon, and Arab League secretary general Nabil Elaraby announced the appointment ahead of today’s major international conference on Syria in Tunisia’s capital.

The announcement said that as the UN-Arab League special envoy, Mr Annan will work on bringing an end to “all violence and human rights violations, and promoting a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis”.

The statement said Mr Annan will work with parties inside and outside Syria to end the violence and the humanitarian crisis and facilitate “a peaceful Syrian-led and inclusive political solution that meets the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people through a comprehensive political dialogue between the Syrian government and the whole spectrum of the Syrian opposition”.

A deputy for the joint special envoy will be chosen from the Arab region, they said.

Diplomats said that Mr Ban could not find a high-level Arab acceptable to both sides and turned to Annan and former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari as possible candidates.

Both are veteran mediators – Mr Annan in Kenya and Mr Ahtisaari in Kosovo – and both are Nobel Peace Prize winners.

Last week, the UN General Assembly asked Mr Ban to support the Arab League’s efforts to promote a peaceful solution to the crisis, including through appointment of a special envoy to Syria.

The focus of the meeting was Syria and the way forward in implementing the General Assembly Resolution including the appointment of a special envoy.

They also discussed the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the planned mission of the under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, to the country.