“Mr. Annan has informed me, and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Nabil El Araby, of his intention not to renew his mandate when it expires on 31 August 2012,” Mr. Ban said in a statement. “I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Mr. Annan for the determined and courageous efforts he has made as the Joint Special Envoy for Syria.”

Mr. Annan, a former UN Secretary-General, was appointed in late February to serve as the high-level representative of the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis, providing good offices aimed at bringing an end to all violence and human rights violations, and promoting a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis. We have worked closely together these past months, and I am indebted to him and his team for all they have tried to achieve. I will continue to draw on his wisdom and counsel, and on the work of the Office of the Joint Special Envoy.

Syria has been wracked by violence, with more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 17 months ago. Over recent days, there have been reports of an escalation in violence in many towns and villages, as well as the country’s two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.

As part of his efforts, Annan put forward a six-point peace plan to help end the Syrian crisis. The plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.

Despite initial signs of acceptance of the plan and repeated calls from UN officials, there has been little in the way of the plan’s implementation by the parties to the conflict.

“The hand extended to turn away from violence in favour of dialogue and diplomacy – as spelled out in the six-point plan – has not been not taken, even though it still remains the best hope for the people of Syria,” Ban said.

The UN chief noted that both the Syrian Government and the opposition forces continue to demonstrate their determination to rely on ever-increasing violence, and that, in addition, “persistent divisions” within the Security Council have themselves become an obstacle to diplomacy, making the work of any mediator vastly more difficult.

“Kofi Annan deserves our profound admiration for the selfless way in which he has put his formidable skills and prestige to this most difficult and potentially thankless of assignments. He has worked within the mandate provided to him by the General Assembly and with the cooperation of various Member States,” Ban said.

He added, “We have worked closely together these past months, and I am indebted to him and his team for all they have tried to achieve. I will continue to draw on his wisdom and counsel, and on the work of the Office of the Joint Special Envoy.”

The UN Secretary-General is now consulting with his counterpart at the League of Arab States, in order to promptly appoint a successor “who can carry on [with] this crucial peacemaking effort.”

“I remain convinced that yet more bloodshed is not the answer; each day of it will only make the solution more difficult while bringing deeper suffering to the country and greater peril to the region,” Ban said.

Addressing reporters in Geneva today, Annan said the increasing militarization on the ground in Syria and the clear lack of unity in the Security Council had “fundamentally changed the circumstances for the effective exercise” of his role.

“Yet the bloodshed continues, most of all because of the Syrian government’s intransigence, and continuing refusal to implement the six-point plan, and also because of the escalating military campaign of the opposition – all of which is compounded by the disunity of the international community,” the Joint Special Envoy said.

“At a time when we need – when the Syrian people desperately need action – there continues to be finger-pointing and name-calling in the Security Council,” he added.

He noted that the June communiqué of the UN-backed Action Group on Syria – which called for the establishment of a transitional governing body, with full executive powers, as part of important agreed principles and guidelines for a Syrian-led political transition – provided an international agreement on a framework for a political transition.

“This should have been automatically endorsed by the Security Council and something the international community should have built on,” he said. “Without serious, purposeful and united international pressure, including from the powers of the region, it is impossible for me, or anyone, to compel the Syrian government in the first place, and also the opposition, to take the steps necessary to begin a political process.”

The Security Council is due to hold consultations on Syria on Thursday afternoon, and the General Assembly is expected to hold a meeting on same issue on Friday.

International envoy Kofi Annan called on the council to postpone Wednesday’s scheduled vote after a bombing rocked Syria’s capital killing four top regime members, including Assad’s borther-in-law and the defense minister.

The Security Council is deeply divided as a draft resolution supported by key Western powers would impose non-military sanctions against Assad’s regime if it fails to withdraw troops and heavy weapons from areas in the country within 10 days , a key demand of the Annan plan while Russia calls for the “immediate implementation” of Annan’s plan and for a political transition approved earlier at the Geneva meeting, but excludes sanctions against Assad.

Russia and China, have blocked two previous resolutions until now calling for sanctions.

Ambassadors from the five veto-wielding permanent council nations , the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France , met behind closed doors Wednesday morning to discuss Annan’s request. Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters afterwards that the vote had been postponed by a day, AP reported.

The mandate of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria, or UNSMIS, expires on Friday and without a resolution the UN may have to withdraw the nearly 300 unarmed observers currently in Damascus.

More than 17,000 people have been killed since a popular uprising against Assad began 16 months ago, activists say.

“If we don’t get more money, people will die and there will be more humanitarian suffering. The needs will continue to grow as long as this conflict continues – that is a sad and tragic truth,” said John Ging, the Director of the Coordination and Response Division of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

To date, the $189 million appeal for assistance for the response inside Syria is 20 per cent funded, while the $193 million appeal for the response to assist refugees in Turkey, Lebanon Jordan and Iraq is also 20 per cent funded.

“To enable humanitarian action in an incredibly difficult, dangerous environment, funding is now the number one priority in terms of unlocking a bigger humanitarian response. That’s both for inside Syria and also for the regional refugee response,” Ging told reporters in Geneva following the fourth meeting of the Syrian Humanitarian Forum.

The forum brought together over 350 participants from Member States, regional organizations, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and UN humanitarian agencies to mobilize the necessary resources to provide assistance to the hundreds of thousands of people uprooted by the conflict, which began last year as an uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad.

“We came together today in the face of an escalating conflict, which is having the predictable devastating humanitarian and human impact,” said Mr. Ging, who added that insecurity remains a major obstacle to the full implementation of the humanitarian response plan.

He noted that there has been a “significant” scale-up of assistance over the last month, from 500,000 people provided with food assistance last month to an expected 850,000 people this month’ but despite the increase, the situation is deteriorating. “In spite of the scale-up, the gap between the needs and the means is very much still there,” he said.

Ging appealed to the donor community to scale up their donations, stating that 20 per cent funding for both appeals is insufficient.

“We have to be prepared, sadly, for a bigger demand on us collectively as this conflict continues. And we must be motivated by the plight of the Syrian people,” he said. “We cannot become numb to their suffering.”

In a statement issued yesterday, the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Vijay Nambiar, also highlighted the ongoing suffering of the Syrian people, describing recent reports of sexual violence against women, children and men by Government forces and the armed militias known as the Shabiha, as “alarming.”

He said that the prevailing atmosphere in Syria has enabled perpetrators to commit serious human rights violations, including sexual violence, with impunity. He also stressed the need for these crimes must be fully and independently investigated, and urged the Security Council to use all its tools, including possible referrals to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“A strong signal must go to perpetrators of sexual violence that they will be held accountable for these crimes,” he stated.

Meanwhile, on the political front, the Joint Special Envoy for the UN and the League of Arab States for the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan, arrived in Moscow today for two days of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Annan has repeatedly called on the parties to abide by the six-point peace plan he presented several months ago to end the crisis. The plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.

“I think Iran can play a positive role,” the Joint Special Envoy told reporters in the Iranian capital, Tehran, adding, “I believe, as you heard me say on many occasions, that Iran has a role to play. And my presence here explains that I believe in that.”

Annan was addressing the media alongside Iran’s Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi. The envoy had arrived in Iran on Monday to seek the country’s support and cooperation in his efforts to resolve the conflict in Syria.

The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 16 months ago.

In his remarks to the media, the Joint Special Envoy noted that since assuming his functions, he had received encouragement and cooperation from Minister Salehi and the Government of Iran

“And I think the Minister has made it clear that if we do not make a real effort to resolve this issue peacefully, and it were to get out of hand and spread to the region, [it could] lead to consequences that none of us can imagine. So, let’s work together to bring peace and stability to Syria,” Annan said.

Preceding his arrival in Tehran, the Joint Special Envoy had been in Damascus, where he met with President al-Assad, in talks which he earlier described as “very candid and constructive.” He had also said they had agreed on an approach to ending the violence in the Middle Eastern country, and that he would share that approach with the armed opposition.

In response to a question in Tehran on that approach, Annan said that the details had yet to be finalized as the armed opposition in Syria had to be consulted. “I cannot get into specific details. But let me say that it relates to the efforts to end the violence. And he [President al-Assad] made a suggestion of building an approach from the ground up in some of the districts where we have extreme violence – to try and contain the violence in those districts and, step by step, build up and end the violence across the country,” he said. “The details, of course, are to be worked out… but it really deals with ending the violence,” he added.

Later on Tuesday, Joint Special Envoy Annan arrived in Baghdad, Iraq, for talks with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on the Syrian crisis and its impact on the region.

A spokesperson for Mr. Annan said that the meeting with Prime Minister Maliki was “very constructive,” and the Iraqi leader expressed concern for the potential impacts the Syrian crisis could have on neighbouring countries, particularly Iraq, should it not be contained.

The spokesperson added that the Prime Minister expressed his full support for the six-point plan put forward earlier this year by Annan to end the violence in Syria. The plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.

“We discussed the need to end the violence and ways and means of doing so. We agreed on an approach which I will share with the armed opposition. I also stressed the importance of moving ahead with a political dialogue which the President accepts,” Annan told reporters in Damascus, after the meeting. The Joint Special Envoy had arrived in the Syrian capital on Sunday evening.

“President Assad reassured me of the Government’s commitment to the six-point plan which, of course, we should move ahead to implement in a much better fashion than has been the situation so far,” he added.

Put forward by Annan earlier this year, the six-point peace plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.

“So I am leaving Syria, but we will continue our dialogue and, as I said, the approach we have discussed about ending the violence will also be shared with the armed opposition,” the Joint Special Envoy added at the media encounter. “I have a team here on the ground that will continue to do that. I also encourage Governments and other entities with influence to have a similar effort.”

Later on Monday, the Joint Special Envoy travelled to Tehran for talks with Iranian leaders.

The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President al-Assad began 16 months ago.

“It is crucial for the Security Council and the Action Group to pressure the parties to prevent any further escalation of the conflict and advance the prospects of a political transition,” he added.

At its first meeting, held recently in Geneva, Switzerland, the Action Group on Syria forged an agreement outlining the steps for a peaceful transition in Syria, which included the establishment of a transitional governing body that would exercise full executive powers and that would be made up by members of the present Government and the opposition and other groups.

It also called for all parties to immediately re-commit to a sustained cessation of armed violence, to fully cooperate with observers serving with the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), and to implement the six-point peace plan put forward earlier this year by the Joint Special Envoy for the UN and the League of Arab States on Syria, Kofi Annan.

“The Government of Syria and all parties on the ground must recommit to the six-point plan in its entirety,” Ban said. “Should the parties continue to flout Security Council resolutions, the Council will have to take the necessary collective action.”

Annan’s six-point peace plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media. In a statement issued separately today, Annan’s spokesperson said that the Joint Special Envoy had arrived in Damascus on Sunday evening for talks with President Bashar Al-Assad.

In his remarks to the Japan National Press Club, Secretary-General Ban also said UNSMIS was playing an “invaluable role” in reporting objectively on events on the ground, until it was compelled to suspend its operational activities. The head of UNSMIS, Major-General Robert Mood, had suspended his observers’ patrols in mid-June due to an escalation of violence.

The Security Council established the Mission – for three months and with up to 300 unarmed military observers – in April to monitor the cessation of violence in Syria, as well as monitor and support the full implementation of the six-point peace plan. Its authorized three months ends on 20 July, with the Council expected to meet before then to decide on its future.

“I have just reported to the Security Council on the Mission’s posture and role, and I encourage the Council to maintain a Mission presence capable of adapting to opportunities that may arise should the parties move towards a political solution,” Ban said.

He added that the Syrian people and the region cannot afford more atrocities, suffering and chaos. “President Assad must understand that things cannot continue as they are. Fundamental change is needed,” he said.

In an open letter to the people of Syria today, Major-General Mood reiterated that UNSMIS is not a static Mission.

“It will continually adapt and reconfigure to best serve the needs and aspirations of the Syrian people,” he said, noting that the Security Council will make an assessment as to the future of the mission in the next days or weeks, and that that assessment will be based on subsequent developments in Syria and the response to the results of the Action Group’s recent meeting.

“Whatever the decision maybe, the international community’s continued responsibility to Syria is a moral and political obligation,” the UNSMIS chief said in the letter. “We cannot and will not turn our eyes and ears away from your plight and will continue to work together, with you, to find new paths to political dialogue and peaceful resolution to the crisis.”

Last week, Major-General Mood announced that UNSMIS would restructure itself. Its eight local team site locations, spread out in different parts of Syria, would be reconfigured into regional locations.

The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President al-Assad began 16 months ago.

With the violence in Syria continuing unabated, Annan said that he has been in intensive consultations with a number of ministers and officials in capitals around the world about the possibility of convening a meeting of ministers to discuss what further actions could be taken.

“It is time for countries of influence to raise the level of pressure on the parties on the ground, and to persuade them that it is in their interest to stop the killing and start talking,” he told a news conference in Geneva.

“The longer we wait, the darker Syria’s future becomes. This process cannot be open-ended,” Mr. Annan added. “It is urgent that our consultations yield real results soon. Otherwise, I fear we are reaching the day when it will be too late to stop the crisis from spiralling out of control. The time to act is now.”

He said discussions are continuing on the possibility of convening a meeting, on 30 June in Geneva, of a “contact group” comprising the five permanent members of the Security Council – China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States – as well as other governments and countries “with influence on one or the other parties” to discuss the way forward.

Annan was joined at the news conference by Major-General Robert Mood, the Chief Military Observer and head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), which last week temporarily suspended the monitoring activities of UNSMIS observers due to the recent escalation of violence.

Maj.-Gen. Mood said a few days ago that UN observers would only be able to resume their work if there is a significant reduction in the violence, and a commitment by both the Government and the opposition to ensure the safety and freedom of movement of the observers.

“Given the fact that the mandate is for 90 days and doesn’t expire until the 20th of July, my focus is to be able to continue to implement the mandated tasks as soon as the situation allows and a less risky level of violence makes that possible,” he stated at the Geneva press conference.

The Security Council established UNSMIS in April, for an initial period of three months, to monitor the cessation of violence in Syria, as well as monitor and support the full implementation of a six-point peace plan put forward by Mr. Annan.

The plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue that takes into account the aspirations of the Syrian people, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.

“I urge all parties to heed the call for a cessation of violence in all its forms, first and foremost for the sake of the Syrian people, the children and women in particular. I think they have suffered for far too long and continue to suffer,” Mr. Annan said. “But if our efforts are to succeed, we shall need the united and sustained support of the international community. This is essential.”

The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 16 months ago.

“As we move forward, we should keep our goals firmly in view: to stop the killing, help the suffering population, secure a political transition, and ensure that the crisis does not spread to the neighbours,” the Joint Special Envoy stated.

Actions carried out as part of the special measure will be wide in scope and may include the delivery of basic and specialised education and health services, support to livelihoods, capacity building (such as training of NGOs and activists), support to the media, cultural activities and civil society.

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice President of the Commission, Catherine Ashton, said: “While the international community must continue to support Kofi Annan’s plan and use all its influence to stop the violence and begin a transition, the European Union remains strongly committed to supporting the Syrian people in this time of suffering. We need to deliver all the support we can.”

EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle, commented: “From the very first day of civil unrest in Syria, the EU has stood by the people of Syria. Today’s decision will significantly strengthen a solid financial basis and a flexible tool for quick and effective support to help the Syrians most in need.”

With Syria entering the second year of civil unrest, life for the population has become ever more difficult, with no obvious solution in sight. Basic commodities are expensive and access to fundamental services such as education and health is becoming increasingly challenging. Everyday life has become unpredictable and isolated, systemic acts of violence have spread almost over the entire Syrian territory. According to an estimate of the United Nations (UN), this situation has until now led to approximately 1 million displaced people including, over 40,000 refugees.

With regard to this deteriorating situation, the EU remains committed to continuing and increasing its support to the Syrian population in every way possible.

The special measure amounts to a total of EUR 23 million. Given the circumstances and the operational constraints on the ground, the focus will be put on projects implemented by partners with a solid track record in the country and in the region. This will complement the 10 million euros funding of humanitarian projects already undertaken by the European Commission in Syria and in the countries hosting Syrian refugees.

In Syria itself, EUR 12.6 million will be made immediately available to assist the Syrian people in coping with the unrest and its consequences and preparing for a transition. Selected projects of varying sizes will address the short and medium-term needs and will enhance the role of Syrian civil society in transition.

A flexible response tool will be set-up to allow quick, responsive and targeted support to projects implemented by local or international NGOs and organisations; in fields ranging from support to livelihood and the delivery of basis and specialised health services to capacity building and cultural activities.

In Lebanon, the overall objective of the special measure is to mitigate the impact of the influx of Syrian refugees. More precisely, a EUR 5 million action will seek to support the medium and longer term needs of both the local Lebanese population and of Syrian refugees in the main host communities in Lebanon. To this aim, the EU will continue its close co-operation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Essential needs in the field of primary and secondary education for both Syrian refugees and the Lebanese host communities in the North and the Bekaa valley will be addressed and educational support provided to some 3,000 Syrian and 1,000 vulnerable Lebanese children.

In addition, Syrian refugees and host populations will be supported through community empowerment (such as awareness raising activities). Targeted support will aim to strengthen Lebanese authorities at central level (High Relief Commission), at local level (municipalities, and to the Ministry of Social Affairs through its Social Development Centres) and local NGOs.

In Jordan, the planned activities with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), for a total of €5.4 million, will contribute to ensuring safe and appropriate services for Syrians living in Jordan, by providing up to 15,000 vulnerable Syrian children in host communities with access to free formal education for the current and next school years, and other relevant education and psychosocial support services. 2,000 children and adolescents excluded from the formal education system will have access to alternative learning activities at the community level.

All actions in this 2012 special measure will be implemented in complementarity and close coordination with EU humanitarian assistance, linking relief, rehabilitation and development, and avoiding any overlap with humanitarian assistance or with other donors’ contributions addressing other urgent priorities.

“The specter of all-out civil war, with a worrying sectarian dimension, grows by the day,” Mr. Annan told the Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria in Doha. “The crisis is having regional spillover, in the form of tensions and incidents across the border, abductions of nationals and foreigners, and refugee flows to neighbouring states.”

Mr. Annan stressed that during his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in Damascus earlier this week, he had urged him to act immediately to implement the six-point plan, and to honour his commitment to withdraw heavy weapons and cease all violence.

“The situation is complex, and it takes everyone involved in the crisis to act responsibly if the violence is to stop. But the first responsibility lies with the Syrian Government, and with President Assad,” Mr. Annan said. “He must release detainees, fully open up to international humanitarian assistance, and allow people to express their views freely in peaceful protest. This is essential to demonstrate his seriousness to the Syrian people and the international community.”

Mr. Annan emphasized the importance of the international community acting in unity to be able to put pressure on the Syrian Government and all other parties to the conflict to stop the violence, and prevent it from spreading further.

“Let me appeal to all of you to engage earnestly and seriously with all other stakeholders, mindful that if regional and international divisions play out in Syria, the Syrian people and the region – your region – will pay the price,” Mr. Annan said.

“The time is coming, if it is not already here, for a serious review. The international community must decide what it does next. From my consultations with many actors, I sense a clear recognition that things cannot continue as they are. I agree. The international community must work together more effectively to push for implementation of the six point plan in full. We must think this through and we must get it right,” he added.

Mr. Annan will travel to New York next week to brief the General Assembly and the Security Council on 7 June.

Earlier this week, Mr. Annan said that the crisis had reached a “tipping point” after the massacre in the Syrian village of Houla, which resulted in the killings of 108 people, including 49 children.

On Friday, the UN Human Rights Council asked its Commission of Inquiry on Syria – a UN independent panel probing abuses in the Middle Eastern country – to conduct a “transparent, independent and prompt investigation into violations of international law with a view to hold to account those responsible for widespread, systematic and gross human rights violations, including violations that may amount to crimes against humanity.” In addition, the Council asked the Commission of Inquiry to publicly identify, if possible, those responsible for the atrocities.

“A year and a half after the crisis has begun, things became clear and masks were removed… the international role in what is taking place was exposed since decades …colonialism remains unchanged but its methods and faces are changing and the regional role exposed itself, ” Assad said according to SANA State TV.

He said Syria had implemented clear steps towards introducing political reforms in the country and held parliamentary elections on time, despite violence in the country, Al Jazeera reported.

He stressed that conducting people’s Assembly elections as scheduled slapped those who wanted that Syria closes in on itself, drowns in the blood of its people, State TV said.

“The political process is moving forward, yet terrorism is not going down,” Assad said. “Terrorists are not interested in dialogue or reform.”

Damascus has accused armed groups for the 15-month conflict in the country, but anti-government activists say Syrian security forces have carried out a brutal crackdown in which thousands have died, Al Jazeera writes.

The announcement for the speech comes after Arab leaders called on the UN to act to stop the 15-month conflict that has persisted despite a UN-backed peace plan that includes the deployment of nearly 300 observers, AP reported. The head of the Arab League on Saturday asked the U.N. Security Council to increase the size of a U.N. mission in Syria and give it expanded powers to protect people, according to a letter leaked to media on Friday.

UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, on Saturday hinted that the first responsibility to resolve the conflict lies with the Syrian Government, and with President Assad and warned of the growing sectarian violence in Syria, adding that the conflict is already having serious consequences in the region and calling on the international community to work together to push for the implementation of the six-point peace plan.

Since the so-called ceasefire which came into effect on April 12, as many as 2,300 people have been killed, according to AFP.

Assad’s speech comes as parliament convened for the first time since a controversial May 7 election boycotted by the opposition. Despite changes to the constitution ending the Baath’s five-decade domination of power, more than 160 of the 250 members of parliament are Baathists.