Ban: Ending Syria conflict priority for General Assembly

Government leaders who attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week should find a united stand to end the conflict in Syria and meet humanitarian needs of the Syrian people, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday. “Syria will be on top of the agenda and on the leaders’ minds,” Ban said in a news conference in advance of the annual assembly session opening on Tuesday. More than 120 presidents and prime ministers and scores of foreign ministers will speak at the assembly, dpa reported. Ban said diplomatic efforts to work out a solution, headed by envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, should continue in spite of all the difficulties, including the determination of the Syrian government and armed opposition to end the conflict only through military means. Ban added that the UN appeal for 347 million dollars to assist 2.5 million Syrians affected by the war had been funded only 40 per cent by international donors.