UN Office of the Special Envoy for Syria

Since January 2019, Geir O. Pedersen has been serving as the UN Special Envoy for Syria, leading the United Nations efforts for full implementation of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), which contains all the elements required for a Syrian-owned, Syrian-led and UN-facilitated political solution to the Syrian conflict.

Mr. Pedersen’s efforts follow those of three previous mediators: UN/Arab League Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan, UN/Arab League Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi and UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura.

In February 2012, the General Assembly passed resolution 66/253 requesting the UN to partner with the League of Arab States in support of a peaceful solution to the conflict through a political transition. In December 2015, the Security Council adopted resolution 2254 (2015), which reconfirmed the Council’s endorsement of the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012 as the basis for ending the conflict.

Security Council resolution 2254 (2015) requires compliance with international law, emphasises the protection of civilians and unfettered humanitarian access, cessation of hostilities, addressing terrorism in a cooperative manner, implementing confidence-building measures, and releasing detainees and abductees and clarification of the fate of missing persons. It further addresses the issues of establishing credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance, setting a schedule and process for drafting a new constitution, and conducting free and fair elections administered under the supervision of the UN to the highest international standards of transparency and accountability. The resolution also speaks of safe and voluntary refugee returns and of post-conflict reconstruction issues. The resolution notes the close link between a nationwide ceasefire and a parallel political process. It charts the course for a political process that is Syrian-owned and facilitated by the United Nations in Geneva.