The UN special envoy in Syria has estimated that 400,000 people have been killed as a result of the Syrian conflict. However, despite the rising death toll, the conflict shows no signs of abating.

Beyond the complex array of domestic belligerents involved in the civil war, foreign actors have continued to play a variety of roles in the conflict, either through political influence, the supply of weapons or through direct military support.

This panel seeks to evaluate the impact of foreign actors in the Syrian conflict. How are the positions of these actors changing as the war persists? And have outside states inflamed and prolonged the conflict or are they essential parties for an eventual peace deal?