Briefing by Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, on the situation in the Middle East (Syria) during the 8674th meeting of the Security Council. The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, today (22 Nov) expressed support for the work of Syria’s Constitutional Committee but said that “if confidence is to develop among the Syrian people in the political process, the dynamics on the ground need to begin to change.”
Pedersen said this change “must start with fully respecting international humanitarian and human rights law and the protection of civilians.”
The Constitutional Committee met in Geneva on 30 October to launch a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned, credible, balanced and inclusive facilitated by the United Nations. There were 50 members nominated by the Government, 50 members nominated by the opposition, and 50 civil society activists and experts and other independents.
Pedersen said, “this was a potentially historic moment” as it “brought Syrians together in one room within the form a political process mandated by this Council — for the first face-to-face talks in five years for the first time ever following a political agreement between the government and opposition and for the first time ever with civil society present.”
The Special Envoy expressed hope that, “with the Constitutional Committee as a door opener, the government and the opposition will be able in time to establish a relationship; violence will abate and conditions on the ground will change; and a comprehensive and decisive solution will finally emerge for the benefit of all Syrians.”
He said the Syrian parties “must seize the opportunity that the launch of the committee offers. And they, and all of us, must build around it a mutually reinforcing dynamic for the sake of the Syrian people.”
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