UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen acknowledged on Friday that efforts have failed to achieve any progress in the political path in Syria and in the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2254.
This includes drafting a new constitution and holding UN-monitored presidential elections.
He announced that he will be holding a new round of meetings and series of trips in July to several countries, including Russia, Turkey and Iran, to discuss Syria.
Addressing a Security Council briefing, Pedersen unveiled a proposal for a new international dialogue on Syria aimed at achieving steps that are reciprocal and mutual, “defined with realism and precision” and carried out in parallel. Key players should be ready to come to the table with the necessary goodwill.
The aim is to deepen exploratory substantive consultations to identify the “very first steps that Syrian and international players could deliver”, he explained, pressing the parties to not only explore what they ask of others - but also what actions they can entertain. “I sense that all key players are interested in deepening this conversation.”
“I think we are all disappointed that we are not making real advances on the political track,” he added, namely constitutional reform and future elections slated to be administered under UN supervision.
Moreover, Pedersen spoke of a “gulf of mistrust” among parties and complexity of conditions on the ground that are hampering progress in resolving the decade-long war.
He therefore, urged delegates to unite around elements of resolution 2254 and called for a new international dialogue to achieve a breakthrough.
The envoy said he has been in regular contact with senior officials from Russia and the United States before and since the recent Geneva summit, as well as other Council members and states in the region.
He revealed he will soon fly to Rome for consultations with foreign ministers participating in a Ministerial Meeting on Syria convened by Italy and the US, before heading to Moscow to consult with Turkey and Iran – and then to Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan, for an “Astana format” meeting in early July, which lies outside the UN framework.
In the meantime, Pedersen said he will seek to facilitate the Constitutional Committee as an important contribution to a broader process. “I think most Syrians and most of us here in this chamber are disappointed that the Committee, which has met five times, is not yet working expeditiously to produce results.”
“We continue engaging the Syrian parties and participating in a Working Group on this issue. But these efforts have not so far delivered, commensurate with the nature and scale of the issue. This is tragic, because families from every corner of Syria have seen loved ones detained, abducted or gone missing,” he lamented.
“Women are particularly impacted when detained or when their family members are, as we regularly hear from the Women’s Advisory Board. All sides – Syrian and international – say that they agree that action is needed. All sides stand to benefit from progress. We have recently engaged the Syrian government again on this subject, following up on a number of suggestions that we have made, while also seeking information on the latest presidential decree of May 2 and recent reported releases,” he stated.
“Resolution 2254’s call for a nationwide ceasefire is another area for potential cooperation,” remarked Pederse. “I need not remind you that there are five foreign armies jostling inside Syria. Syrian territory is split into a number of de facto zones, with the country’s sovereignty seriously compromised.”
“A patchwork of regional de-escalation and ceasefire agreements - in which Russia, Turkey and the United States are key players - have brought about 15 months of relative calm between those zones. But there is a danger that existing arrangements could unravel,” warned the envoy.
“They could be slowly eroded by the near-constant tempo of limited violence across frontlines,” he said, citing the “alarming signs of escalation this month in the attack on al-Shifaa hospital in Afrin city. Civilians, including medical personnel, were killed and injured, and parts of the hospital were destroyed.”
“We also saw another escalation in southern Idlib, with mutual shelling, airstrikes inside Idlib, reports of civilian fatalities and significant displacement,” he added.
