Speaking to the press following his meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. on 4 August, the Secretary-General said he was encouraged by the strong support expressed by the Security Council for the proposal presented on 29 July by Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura to establish four thematic groups to operationalize the Geneva communiqué. "We will try to expedite -- to provide some political solution to this, operationalizing the Geneva communiqué. At the same time, we are doing our best effort to provide humanitarian assistance to needy people" the Secretary-General said.
In a press statement issued on 30 May, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, strongly condemned the death of at least 70 civilians in Syria's northern Aleppo province by barrel bombs dropped from government helicopters. "The news of aerial bombing by Syrian helicopters on a civilian market area of the Aleppo neighborhood of Al Shaar deserves the most strong international condemnation," he said. Mr. de Mistura stressed that the protection of civilians during armed conflicts is a cornerstone of international humanitarian law, and applies in all circumstances and without distinction.
On 28 May, he met with Dr. Aref Dalila, who shared his views on the situation in Syria and the evolution of the ongoing conflict. They also discussed ways to support Syrian sides in launching a political process. Mr. de Mistura also met with a delegation of elected Security Council members (Chile, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Spain, Venezuela). They discussed the ongoing political efforts and possible role of the United Nations.