Ban reiterates support for new UN-Arab League envoy on Syrian crisis
August 25, 2012: Meeting in New York on Friday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated
his support for the new Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the
League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis, Lakhdar Brahimi, adding that he would
count with the full backing of the international community when he assumes his position
on 1 September. “You have all the respect and full support of the international
community,” Ban told Brahimi at UN Headquarters. “It is crucially important that the
Security Council and all the United Nations systems support your role.”
Syria
has been wracked by violence, with more than 17,000 people, mostly civilians, killed
since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 17 months ago. Over
recent days, there have been reports of an escalation in violence in many towns and
villages, as well as the country’s two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.
Speaking
before a private meeting, Ban said Brahimi has a very important and crucial task to
bring peace and stability to Syria, and to promote human rights there. He also praised
Brahimi’s talent and expertise on the region, which he will bring to his new position.
“The longer this fighting goes on the more people will be killed, the more
people will suffer. In that regard, your contribution, your leadership, will be very
important,” Ban said.
Brahimi, an Algerian national, has served the UN in
various high-level roles over the past two decades, including heading the UN Assistance
Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), serving as an advisor on a range of issues, and chairing
an independent panel on peacekeeping operations which released its keynote findings,
known as the ‘Brahimi Report,’ in 2000. Brahimi also served with the League of Arab
States from 1984 to 1991 as an Algerian diplomat.
In their exchange, Brahimi
thanked the Secretary-General for the opportunity to serve the Syrian people, and
stressed that they would be his “first masters,” and that he would consider their
interests first and foremost.
Appointed last week, Brahimi is taking over
the peace-facilitation role which has been carried out since February by former UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who provided his good offices on behalf of the UN and
Arab League, with the aim of bringing an end to all violence and human rights violations
in Syria, and promoting a peaceful solution to the conflict. Annan’s mandate ends
on 31 August.