UN special envoy for Syria calls for urgent talks in Geneva for 'orderly political transition'

The UN's special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an "orderly political transition" in Syria. Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the talks in Switzerland would discuss the implementation of a UN resolution that called for a Syrian-led political process.

Resolution 2254, adopted in 2015, called for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with UN-supervised elections.

Pedersen said the need for an orderly political transition "has never been more urgent" and said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute.