Syrian political process has brought no changes: UN Envoy to Syria
ISTANBUL, Turkey (North Press) – The United Nations Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen recently announced that the political process in Syria has not yet brought real change to Syrians or a real vision for the future.
Pedersen indicated that no progress had been made in the file of detainees, adding, “I am afraid that so far it has been disappointing, in my opinion we have not seen any real progress.”
Pedersen’s statement came at a press conference he held on Friday in the Swiss capital Geneva.
“It does not mean that we should not continue, it means actually that we should work even harder to be able to see progress on this; this is a file that really has an impact on nearly every Syrian family,” Pedersen said.
“The political process so far is not yet delivering real changes in Syrians’ lives, nor a real vision for the future,” according to Pedersen.
Pedersen indicated his readiness to cooperate with the new US administration regarding Syria. “I will continue to engage with the Syrian parties and also with all international actors and also, of course, with the new incoming US Administration,” he stated.
“The Constitutional Committee is just one aspect, and it is not the one aspect that will solve the Syrian crisis,” Pedersen stressed.
Omar Hansson, a Syrian opposition figure living in Turkey, told North Press, “It is not surprising that Pedersen considered that the efforts were disappointing, because he did not come to make the effort succeed.”
“All Pedersen did was force opposition leaders to compromise, provoke them, and perhaps pressure them to accept what suits the Syrian regime,” Hansson added.
On Thursday, Pedersen called on the conflicting parties in Syria to resolve the conflict, stating, “We need political will from the different parties to be able to move forward. And of course, we also need to see progress on the other files that are mentioned in Security Council resolution 2254.”
He said in a series of tweets on his Twitter that no one actor or group of actors can impose their will on Syria or settle the conflict alone, and that they must work together.
“We must ensure that addressing the conflict in Syria is high among our shared priorities…. we need to begin to unlock progress, step by step, in a reciprocal & mutually reinforcing manner, along the path of Resolution 2254.”
He also tweeted that, “Today, millions inside the country & the millions of refugees outside are grappling with deep trauma, grinding poverty, personal insecurity & lack of hope for the future. For many, the daily struggle just to survive crowds out most other issues.”
Reporting by Serdar Hadid