Lakhdar Brahimi has resigned as the United Nations and Arab League mediator for Syria.
(Transcript from World News Radio)
He will officially step down at the end of May after two years of trying to negotiate an end to the country's civil war.
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About a year ago Lakhdar Brahimi admitted he thought about resigning from his post every day.
He's appeared at UN headquarters in New York to regretfully confirm he's made the move.
"It's very sad that I leave this position and leave Syria behind in such a bad state. I am sure that the crisis will end. The question is how many more dead, how much more destruction is there going to be before Syria becomes again the Syria we have known?"
Mr Brahimi was appointed the United Nations and Arab League joint special representative on Syria in 2012.
That was when his predecessor, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, also resigned in frustration.
The overall aim in Syria has been to end the fighting, launch a political transition, and begin a reconciliation process between supporters and opponents of President Bashar al Assad.
Mr Brahimi managed to stage talks between the two sides earlier this year in Geneva but they collapsed.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon says the divisions prevented them from making any progress.
"Mr Brahimi has long been recognised as one of the world's most brilliant diplomats and outstanding proponents of the principles of the charter of the UN. That the objective to which he applied his extraordinary talents has proven elusive is a tragedy for the Syrian people."
The UN Security Council has been split on how to deal with Syria.
Russia and China blocked three resolutions that would have condemned its government, threatened sanctions and called for accountability.
President Assad's announcement of presidential elections to be held in June also dealt a severe blow to Mr Brahimi's efforts.
Former United States ambassador to Syria, Theodore Kattouf, told Al Jazeera Mr Brahimi knew he was facing a difficult task.
"It's not a bad thing to have a UN envoy assigned to this task, but realistically, did anybody believe this thing was going to be settled any time soon? Bashar al-Assad is riding high, he's going for another term. The opposition is in disarray but still formidable. They have to sort things out among themselves."
After his latest closed-door meeting with the Security Council, Mr Brahimi offered his apologies to the Syrian people -- but also promised change.
"For the new Syria, history doesn't work backwards. I don't think that the Syria of 14th of March 2011 is going to be reinstated."
The UN is yet to decide who will replace him.
There is speculation in some quarters that former Australian prime Minister Kevin Rudd would be receptive to such an appointment.
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