UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on all countries to pledge places for Syrian refugees for resettlement. 

"Today, I ask that countries act with solidarity in the name of our shared humanity by pledging due and additional pathways for the admission of Syrian refugees. These pathways can include resettlement or humanitarian admission, family reunions as well as labour or study opportunities. States have pledged more than 178,000 places so far. I call on you to expand on these commitments and I urge other countries to join," Ban said.

The UN estimates that at least 10 percent of Syrian refugees, or about 480,000 people, need resettlement or another form of admission into a third country. The five-year conflict in Syria has driven nearly five million refugees abroad, and many have been hosted in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Ban also urged parties in Syria to consolidate and expand the cease-fire, and achieve a political solution through dialogue.