UN Special Envoy ready to convene 3rd session of Syrian-owned committee in Geneva

With the situation in Syria deteriorating day by day, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen has urged all warring parties that he is ready to convene a third session of the Syria-led and Syrian-owned constitutional committee in Geneva, towards the end of August, given the COVID-19 travel restrictions. However, Pedersen also warned that the problems in Syria just cannot be solely solved through constitutional talks as there is currently 80 per cent of the Syrian population living below the poverty line. 

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"Syria is going through a time of great flux. Nobody involved in the conflict should presume that time is on their side.  Nobody should be sure that there will be better openings down the road. What is required is the readiness of all to deal seriously with the realities of the conflict," Pedersen while addressing the UN Security Council said.

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Pedersen also warned that there are currently five international armies operating inside Syria and with the United States and European Union imposing strict sanctions, the conflict will escalate and Syrian parties will be forced to resolve the issue without real diplomacy among international players. Pedersen said that Syria is currently under economic shatters and with coronavirus, the situation is getting worse. 

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Urges Syrian parties to free detainees

Pedersen also noted that in recent weeks, Syrians have staged street protests in Sweida, Daraa, and Idlib against a range of grievances. Russian mediation helped to avert a violent confrontation in Tafas, in the geopolitically sensitive south-west. Pedersen further appealed for a nationwide ceasefire to be put in place in accordance with Council resolution 2254 (2005). Pedersen also urged Damascus and all other Syrian parties to free detainees and abductees, especially the women, the elderly, the sick, and the children for more meaningful action on missing persons. 

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