Major Threats still remain in Syria - UN Security Council Briefing

Briefing by Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Syria, on the situation in the Middle East and Syria.
UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen told the Security Council that Syria still contains “many threats for renewed escalation or even threats to international peace and security,” reiterating that Resolution 2254 speaks of a nationwide ceasefire.
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Briefing the Council on the situation in Syria, the Special Envoy Geir O. Pedersen said “terrorist groups listed by this Council remain a major threat: only last week, ISIL claimed attacks on Syrian government forces in the desert. Hay at Tahrir al-Sham still controls large swathes of territory.”
On the Constitutional Committee, Pederseb said, “while nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, we have a clear understanding on: balanced co-chairing arrangements; a formula for decision-making; a shared acceptance of the UN’s facilitation role; and a political commitment to the safety and security of all who would be involved.”
The Special Envoy also reiterated, “we need to scale up and speed up the release of detainees/abductees, particularly vulnerable ones such as women, children, elderly, and sick.”
He said, “the Syrian Government and opposition should ensure the detainees/abductees’ protection prior to and following their release. They should move away from the one-for-one exchange framework. They should address the issue at scale.”