UN envoy discusses Syrian Constitutional Committee meeting with FM Faisal Mekdad

On Sunday, the United Nations' special envoy for Syria Geir Pederson spoke about the very profound social and economic issues confronted by Syrian nationals. The envoy had a discussion with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad wherein the leaders talked about the UN-facilitated Syrian Constitutional Committee meeting scheduled for May 28 in Geneva. As part of the committee's mission to propose an update or rewrite Syria's constitution, 50 members of civil society, 50 members of the government and 50 members of the opposition will convene in Geneva for a fresh round of discussions.

The UN ambassador also stated that he had been briefed regarding the recent Syrian presidential amnesty, which released free inmates accused of terrorist acts that did not result in deaths. Before talks on a new constitution for Syria resume in Geneva, Pedersen stated that he is very much looking forward to being kept informed on the progress of the implementation of that amnesty, according to Alalrabia News. He claimed that amnesty has potential and they are looking forward to seeing how it develops.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which depends on a broad network of insider sources suggests that the Syrian presidential amnesty has resulted in the release of around 1,142 convicts across the nation, with hundreds more anticipated, according to media reports. Syria's warring parties are scheduled to meet in Switzerland in the coming days for constitutional talks, which began in 2019. The negotiations could pave the way for a larger political process. Pedersen expressed his optimism that this will be a productive meeting that can help them move forward so that they can start to see some confidence-building measures.

Civil war in Syria

Syria's civil war broke out in 2011 as a result of the violent suppression of anti-government protests. It swiftly devolved into a multi-faceted conflict involving extremist organizations and foreign countries. Around half a million people have died as a result of the war, and millions more have been displaced. The United Nations has worked to foster a political solution throughout the war. Last month, the UN envoy emphasized the importance of boosting cross-line and cross-border aid for the country, as well as addressing the suffering of the tens of thousands of Syrians who are still imprisoned, abducted or missing.

Image: AP