UN calls for firewalling Syria’s Constitutional Committee from war in Ukraine
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Friday, the UN called for firewalling talks of Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, from conflicts and put the interest of Syrians first.
In a briefing to the UN Security Council on Thursday, the UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen “urged all parties to firewall the Syrian process from the impact of the conflicts elsewhere in the world and put the interest of Syrians first,” Spokeswoman Jenifer Fenton told reporters in Geneva.
He had told the council that a Syrian government representative had informed him that it would only be ready to participate in the next round of constitutional talks “when what he described as requests made by the Russian Federation have been met,” he said.
Fenton went further saying that Pedersen described the postponement as “unfortunate and disheartening, particularly since it results from matters unrelated to the Syria file.”
Fenton did not reveal the Russia’s requests.
Russia raised issues over the venue, reportedly insisting that Switzerland, which has imposed sanctions over the Ukraine war, is not neutral.
The Special Envoy for Syria had said the situation for Syrians remains “dire,” and had stressed the need to “put aside our differences and offer Syrians a common and constructive position.”
Fenton highlighted that back in 2018 when the constitutional committee was conceived, one of the conditions was that it “would hold its meetings in Geneva without foreign interference.”
The ninth round of the Constitutional Committee was scheduled to be hold on July 25 under the supervision of the Special Envoy for Syria.
Talks between the delegations of both the government and the opposition “are no longer possible,” Pedersen said previously.
The committee, which was first met in 2019, has a Large Body and a Small Body; the Large Body comprises 150 members: 50 of the government, 50 of the opposition and 50 of the civil society. While the Small Body comprises 45 members: 15 of the government, 15 of the opposition and 15 of the civil society.
On June 3, the 8th round ended in Geneva after the Small Body finished with discussing four constitutional principles for five days.