Today the UN had to suspend its planned humanitarian intervention as part of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement on Zabadani, Madaya, Fua, and Kefraya due to the recent surge of military activities in the concerned areas.
The UN team and humanitarian partners, in fact, had made all necessary preparations and were in place to immediately implement the humanitarian provisions of the agreement.
The Syrian population in these affected areas is waiting for this agreement to be implemented so that needed humanitarian assistance can be provided to end their long-standing suffering.
The UN calls on all concerned parties to fulfill their responsibilities in the protection of civilians and reach the necessary understandings in order to implement this agreement as soon as possible. The UN reaffirms its commitment to the protection of civilians and remains ready to assist.
In an interview with the UN News Centre on 30 July, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura explained his proposal of launching thematic discussions through intra-Syrian working groups to address key aspects of the Geneva Communiqué. "One is the humanitarian issue, which means access. People are requesting a format through which access can be guaranteed for many things: medicines, humanitarian aid, food. And there is, of course, the mother of all issues: the political process. And that means how to get into a [political] transition, through a transitional governing body, but do so in a way that you are not actually producing an immediate shake-up, rather, a scenario where you are getting, gradually but clearly, to a different political scenario, where everyone is included. All that can be part and should be part of this working group, so that when the right time comes, the working groups would be ready", the Envoy noted.
As part of his consultations with regional stakeholders and members of the Security Council, Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura visited Beijing today where he met with the Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Li Baodong, and the Director-General of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences, Mr. Li Junhua. During his meetings in Beijing, the Special Envoy discussed the regional situation and the importance for the Security Council members to reach a common understanding on how to proceed with a political process aimed at operationalizing the Geneva Communiqué.
Prior to Beijing, the Special Envoy went to Cairo especially to have a meeting with the Secretary-General of League of Arab States Mr. Nabil El Araby. On that occasion, Mr. de Mistura had the opportunity of discussing the future meeting at the Security Council on Syria and to exchange views on ways to promote a political solution to the conflict.
While in Cairo, Mr. De Mistura also met with Syrian opposition figures present there.
20 July 2015, Geneva
كجزء من مشاوراته مع الأطراف المعنية الإقليمية وأعضاء مجلس الأمن، زار مبعوث الأمم المتّحدة الخاص إلى سوريا ستيفان دي مستورا بكين اليوم حيث التقى مع نائب وزير الشئون الخارجية الصيني، السيد لي باو دونغ، والمدير العام لشؤون المنظمات والمؤتمرات الدولية، السيد لي جونهوا. خلال لقاءاته في بكين، ناقش المبعوث الخاص الوضع الإقليمي وأهمية أن يتوصّل أعضاء مجلس الأمن إلى تفاهم مشترك حول كيفية المضي قدماً في العملية السياسية التي تهدف إلى تنفيذ بيان جنيف.
وقد توجّه المبعوث الخاص، قبل بيكين، إلى القاهرة بهدف عقد اجتماع مع الأمين العام لجامعة الدول العربية السيد نبيل العربي. واغتنم السيّد دي مستورا الفرصة، في هذه المناسبة، لمناقشة الاجتماع المقبل في مجلس الأمن بشأن سوريا، وتبادل وجهات النظر حول سبل تعزيز التوصل إلى حل سياسي للصراع.
والتقى السيد دي مستورا أيضاً أثناء وجوده في القاهرة، مع شخصيات من المعارضة السورية المتواجدة هناك.
20 يوليو 2015، جنيف
On 22 May, the Special Envoy met with the Islamic scholar Muhammad Al Habash and Hind Kabawat and Asma Kftarou from a civil society organization called 'Tastaqil. He also received a delegation from the Kurdish National Council, with whom he shared views on ways to end the conflict, with due respect for Syrian diversity while maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. He also met with Najla Riachi Assaker, the Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the UN in Geneva, and discussed ways to support Syria in launching a political process, as well as the urgent need to alleviate the humanitarian suffering and its impact on the neighbouring countries. Mr. de Mistura also received with deep sadness news of the kidnapping of a priest, Father Jacques Mourad, on 21 May in Homs, describing the "grave act" as being unfortunately not the first of its kind and "one of the sad consequences" of the raging conflict.