It expressed thanks for his “tireless commitment” to a political solution for the Syrian conflict and called on the parties to “return to the negotiating table”. It also expressed support for the idea a constitutional committee for Syria.
“In this extremely complex context, Staffan de Mistura has always represented hope and shown great diplomatic finesse,” Swiss UN ambassador in Geneva Valentin Zellweger told the Keystone-SDA news agency. “Switzerland reiterates its support to the United Nations in its search for peace.”
De Mistura, who has been UN special envoy to Syria for more than four years, announced on Wednesday that he would step down at the end of November. The 71-year-old Italian-Swedish diplomat said this was for personal reasons. He said he would use the remaining time to try to make progress on a constitutional committee for Syria which would be tasked with drafting a new constitution.
The Syrian conflict which started in 2011 has left hundreds of thousands dead, while many more have been displaced or fled the country.
More
More
Syria: what will it take to make peace?
This content was published on
Lots of waiting, with very little outcome. Geneva correspondent Imogen Foulkes explains the hard reality of Syrian peace talks going nowhere.
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Switzerland increasingly a target for people smuggling and trafficking
This content was published on
Switzerland is increasingly being targeted by organized crime. This also applies to commercial people smuggling, the fastest growing criminal market in Europe.
Swiss forests better equipped against storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years ago, Hurricane Lothar toppled trees like dominoes in Switzerland. Forests today are better prepared to cope with such an exceptional event, say experts.
This content was published on
The Locarno Film Festival is considering moving from the beginning of August to the second half of July for its 80th edition in 2027.
Council of Europe head Alain Berset visits Georgia
This content was published on
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is visiting Georgia, which has been rocked by a political crisis, from Wednesday.
Swiss politician who shot at Jesus faces criminal proceedings
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has opened criminal proceedings against politician Sanija Ameti. It is investigating whether she disrupted freedom of religion and worship.
Switzerland must be able to control immigration, says head of business federation
This content was published on
Switzerland must be able to control immigration itself if it "exceeds the tolerable limits", says Christoph Mäder, president of Economiesuisse, the Swiss Business Federation.
This content was published on
The film Reinas by Klaudia Reynicke, a Swiss-Peruvian-Spanish co-production, has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Syrian civil society meets in Geneva to discuss peace
This content was published on
With war still raging in Syria and official peace talks on hold, a quiet peace initiative is continuing behind the scenes in Geneva.
Syria and mediator trade blame as peace talks fail
This content was published on
Speaking on Swiss public television RTS on Thursday evening, de Mistura said Putin should convince the Bashar Al-Assad government to accept a new constitution and new elections to “win the peace”. Responding in New York, a spokesman for the UN Secretary General reiterated full support for de Mistura. This came as the latest round of…
This content was published on
Here is a short guide to the sixth round of the intra-Syrian peace negotiations, which are taking place in Geneva and set to run from May 16-19.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.