UN-Arab League Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi met with US Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss the ongoing conflict in Syria in Geneva on Thursday.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of four-party talks on the Ukrainian crisis attended by delegates from Russia, the European Union, the United States and Ukraine in a bid to find "a diplomatic path forward" as the standoff in eastern Ukraine intensifies.
Earlier today (17 Apr), Brahimi's office issued a statement following the breakdown of negotiations between the Syrian Government and a Negotiating Committee representing the civilians and fighters still trapped in the Old city of Homs.
Speaking to reporters in New York, the UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stressed "Mr. Brahimi said that violence is now rife again when a comprehensive agreement seemed so close at hand. He added that it is alarming that Homs, whose people have suffered so much in the past three years, is again the theatre of death and destruction. The Representative urged all parties to return to the negotiating table and complete the deal which was on the verge of being signed."
In February, some 1,350 men, women and children – more than half of the estimated 2,500 who have suffered the years-long siege – were evacuated from the Old City of Homs, and food moved in as part of a "humanitarian pause," according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Under that agreement, women, children and the elderly were allowed out but not men over 15 and under 54 years of age.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other top UN officials have repeatedly called for a political solution to the conflict, now in its fourth year. They also warned that the conflict is acutely felt by neighbouring countries and could push the entire region into region.
Ban recently appealed to Arab League members – working with Russia, the United States and the UN – to re-energize "Geneva II," as the most recent Swiss-hosted discussions between the Syrian Government and main opposition group are known.
Two rounds of talks earlier this year, the first in January followed by a second round in February, saw both sides sticking to their positions and yielded only modest cooperation on a humanitarian issue related to aid access in the Old City of Homs.
SHOTLIST 17 APRIL 2014, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Exterior InterContinental Geneva Lakhdar Brahimi seated next to US Secretary of State John Kerry Lakhdar Brahimi John Kerry
17 APRIL 2014, NEW YORK CITY Exterior United Nations headquarters UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric walks up to the podium Reporters Presser
SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General: "Mr. Brahimi said that violence is now rife again when a comprehensive agreement seemed so close at hand. He added that it is alarming that Homs, whose people have suffered so much in the past three years, is again the theatre of death and destruction. The Representative urged all parties to return to the negotiating table and complete the deal which was on the verge of being signed."
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