The United Nations and the Arab League have appointed former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan as their joint special envoy to deal with the crisis in Syria. In a joint statement released late Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil El-Araby said Annan will serve as their high-level representative on the crisis and will be supported by a deputy from the Arab world who will be selected later. "The special envoy will provide good offices aimed at bringing an end to all violence and human-rights violations, and promoting a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis," the joint statement said.
