World Bulletin / News Desk

 The special envoy on Syria is planning to hold separate meetings in May with parties to the Syrian conflict to halt more than four years of fighting, the UN said Tuesday.

During the meetings, which will also involve regional and global actors, Staffan de Mistura will try to "operationalise" the Geneva Communique, a UN-backed document that outlines a way to end the conflict.

"No invitations have yet been issued," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

The Geneva Communique, issued in 2012, calls for an immediate end to fighting and the formation of a transitional governing body including members of the opposition and the government.

De Mistura is expected to brief the UN Security Council next week.

The Syrian civil war, which entered a fifth year last month, has claimed more than 220,000 lives so far, according to the UN.