Objections from Russia have persuaded the United States to drop its insistence that any UN resolution on Syria should be backed by the option of military force.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said the UN will report that poison gas was used against citizens of Syria last month.
While he has not blamed any side for the August 21 attack in eastern Damascus, US and Russian officials are now working on a joint statement, which will probably be ready this weekend.
Both countries have already agreed there should be a plan to oversee the dismantling of Syria’s chemical weapons.
However, neither country has been able to agree on the size of the Syrian chemical weapons stockpile.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over crimes against humanity.
His comments were made off the cuff at a UN Women’s International Forum.
Shown on UN television, Mr Ban may not have realised his comments were being broadcast.
The US has been threatening military action against the Assad regime in Syria.
A Congressional vote on whether the US should strike Syria was called off after Russia announced it would join the US in a plan to have Syria’s chemical weapons destroyed under international scrutiny.
Syria has also agreed to the plan.
US Secretary of State John Kerry is currently in Geneva for talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.