Following the joint press stake-out earlier today in Geneva between the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura and Senior Advisor, Jan Egeland, the Special Envoy briefed the Security Council on the current situation in Syria. This was his first briefing to the Council since the conclusion of the latest round of talks in Geneva and since the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) met in Vienna on 17 May.

Mr. de Mistura re-iterated the need to see progress on the ground – particularly in reference to the cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access. He briefed on his intention to start the next round of Talks as soon as feasible but certainly not within the next two/three weeks.  

Meanwhile, the Special Envoy will maintain close and continuous contact with the Syrian parties as well as the members of the ISSG before determining the "appropriate time" to reconvene the parties to Geneva.