The United Nations special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, called on Saturday for calm in the country following rapid advances by the rebels.
"I reiterate my call for de-escalation, for calm, for the avoidance of bloodshed and the protection of civilians in line with international humanitarian law," Pedersen said at the Doha Forum for political dialogue, urging "the start of a process that leads to the realisation of the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people".
Amid conflicting reports about how close the rebels had reached to President Bashar al-Assad's seat of power in Damascus, Pedersen said he had called in meetings for "urgent political talks in Geneva to implement Security Council Resolution 2254" of 2015, which set out a roadmap for a negotiated settlement.
"My hope is that it will be able to announce a date for this very soon. The need for an orderly political transition has never been more urgent, starting with the urgent formation of inclusive and credible transitional arrangements," he said.
United Nations special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen
