...Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh and so far the worst Secretary-General of the UN. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for something or other that probably sounded good at the time. In December 2004, reports surfaced that Kofi's son Kojo received payments from the Swiss company Cotecna, which had won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil-for-Food Program. Kofi Annan called for an investigation to look into the allegations, which stirred up the expected cesspool but couldn't seem to come up with enough evidence to indict Kofi himself, or even Kojo...said that the Security Council discussed during a closed session on Wednesday the crisis in Syria and the steps to be taken in the future, and that he briefed the Council on the results of his recent visit to the region and outcomes of the work group which convened recently in Geneva.
In a presser after addressing the Security Council, Annan said that the talks he held in Syria covered the implantation of the six-point plan approved by the Council, and that there were no discussions about "three months."
He said that talks also discussed steps that should be taken in areas witnessing extreme violence into which no humanitarian aid can be sent nor can trapped people leave them, and that the discussions covered steps to affect a ceasefire in these areas with the help of observers, adding that this doesn't absolve any side of their duty towards the ceasefire according to the plan, regardless of the area in question.
Annan said that the members of the workgroup on Syria pledged to maintain constant pressure on all sides of the crisis to implement the Security Council decisions then take steps to end violence in order to launch political dialogue.
He said that Iran and Iraq voiced support for the six-point plan and the idea of a political transition that allows Syrians to decide upon their future, and that the two countries will use their influence to move forward in this direction.
Regarding the future of the UN observer mission in Syria, Annan said this matter is up to the Security Council, explaining that there's a Russian draft resolution in addition to another draft which will be presented by three members according to the British representative, adding that there's also the report of the UN Secretary-General which outlines options about what should be done in the future.
He said that so far, he has not witnessed success in ending violence and he told all governments that and asked them to work together to pressure all sides to support the plan in order to ensure the success of all sides' mutual goal.
Annan said that the Security Council's voice would be stronger if it were united rather than divided, and that the region's government's all voiced mutual interests, adding "we all want to protect the Syrian people, see an end to violence and not have the conflict go out of control or spread in the region."
He said that this calls for working to achieve mutual interests rather than moving in different directions which would make everyone a loser and end up making the Syrians the biggest victims.
On his talks with President al-Assad on appointing a negotiator to talk with the opposition, Annan said that this issue was broached and President al-Assad proposed a name, and that he would like to know more information about the person in question.
Syria's Permanent Representative to the UN Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari and Russia's Deputy Representative Igor Pankin also held similar pressers in New York.