UN security council is failing Syria, Ban Ki-moon admits

UN secretary general urges Russia and China to 'look beyond national interest' and stop blocking proposals to help end conflict

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has admitted that the UN security council is failing Syria because of big power divisions which have prevented action to end a conflict that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and driven the biggest refugee exodus in a generation.

The UN secretary general told that Guardian that Russia and China should "look beyond national interest" and stop blocking security council action on the conflict in Syria as the flow of refugees to Europe reaches unprecedented levels.