Kofi Annan named special envoy to Syria

UNITED NATIONS - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and Nabil Elaraby, secretary-general of the League of Arab States (AL), announced on Thursday the appointment of former UN chief Kofi Annan as the two organizations' joint special envoy on the Syrian crisis, according to the UN spokesperson's office.  

The announcement was made in a joint statement released by Ban and Elaraby, who consulted closely on the appointment.  

"The special envoy will be the high-level representative of the secretaries-general of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis," the statement said. "The special envoy will provide good offices aimed at bringing an end to all violence and human rights violations, and promoting a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis."

A General Assembly resolution on February 16 directed the heads of the UN and the AL to appoint a special envoy to Syria, a country which has been troubled for 11 months by tensions and violence between anti-government protesters and the forces of President Bashar Assad.

According to the statement, Annan will be guided in his new duties by the assembly resolution and relevant resolutions by the AL.

"He will consult broadly and engage with all relevant interlocutors within and outside Syria in order 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," said the statement.

The statement also said the two secretaries-general are "grateful" to Annan for accepting "this important mission at a critical time for the people of Syria."

Annan's deputy will be chosen from the Arab region, the statement added.