UN envoy urges de-escalation as latest conflict in Syria poses severe risks

UNITED NATIONS - United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen warned on Sunday that the latest developments in Syria pose severe risks, urging parties concerned to protect civilians and find a way out of the conflict through "meaningful and substantive" negotiations.

Recent days have seen a dramatic shift in frontlines in Syria, including significant advances by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group that remains a designated terrorist group by the Security Council, Pedersen said in a statement.

In a country torn by nearly 14 years of war and conflict, the latest developments pose severe risks to civilians and have serious implications for regional and international peace and security, he warned, noting he will continue to push for civilian protection and de-escalation.

"As an immediate priority, I strongly emphasize the urgent need for all to uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure," Pedersen said, adding this is "a clear message to all parties engaged in hostilities of any kind".

"I have repeatedly warned of the risks of escalation in Syria, of the dangers of mere conflict management rather than conflict resolution, and the reality that no Syrian party or existing grouping of actors can resolve the Syrian conflict via military means," Pedersen said.

Pedersen urged the Syrian parties and key international stakeholders to engage earnestly in meaningful and substantive negotiations to find a way out of the conflict. "Without this, Syria is in danger of further division, deterioration, and destruction," he noted.

The special envoy called for urgent and serious political engagement among Syrian and international stakeholders to spare bloodshed and focus on a political solution in accordance with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).