The announcement said Kofi Annan "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".

It said he will work with all stakeholders, internationally and in Syria, to achieve "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". A deputy to Kofi Annan will be chosen from the Arab world.

This appointment follows a report by a UN-appointed panel on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country and the request, by the UN General Assembly, that Ban Ki-Moon support the Arab League's efforts to promote a peaceful solution to the crisis, including through appointment of a special envoy to Syria.

Annan is a veteran mediator who played a role in the difficult mediation to end civil unrest in Kenya following disputed elections and mediated agreement on a coalition government in 2008.

Alumnus Kofi Annan, 73, served as the UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006. The UN he left behind was more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty.

After leaving the UN, Kofi Annan was immediately suggested as a presidential candidate in his native Ghana, which he turned down. However, he has remained active with several African and international organisations.
 

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