Syria constitutional talks reconvene after COVID-19 suspension
UN-facilitated talks to discuss a schedule and process for drafting a new constitution for war-torn Syria reconvened at UN Geneva on Thursday after being suspended three days earlier when four participants tested positive for COVID-19.
Speaking to journalists, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, stressed the desire among participants to continue with the work of the Third Session of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, after a nine-month break.
He envisaged this happening into Saturday “with all necessary precautionary strict measures strictly observed”.
The UN negotiator also explained that those individuals who had tested positive for the new coronavirus would not be taking part in proceedings “out of an abundance of caution”, even though secondary testing had shown that they no longer posed any risk.
“We have a clear agenda for this session and the Small Body had a constructive first meeting on the agenda when they met on Monday,” Mr. Pedersen said, highlighting that these had resulted in “useful points” being raised and some good “interactions”.
“Key international players” following the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process had also expressed their keen interest in the discussions resuming, Mr. Pedersen continued.
In an earlier Press conference ahead of the latest discussions, he noted his intention to meet representatives from Russia, Iran and Turkey and the United States in Geneva, while stressing the “completely independent” work of the Constitutional Committee.
The convening on Monday of the Small Group of the Syrian Constitutional Committee brings together 15 representatives from Syria’s Government, 15 from the Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC) and 15 more civil society participants, known as the “middle third”.
A larger group of 150 delegates is also part of the process, but only the smaller group is meeting in Geneva.
Both bodies are meeting on the basis of an agreement between the Government of Syria and the opposition to implement a key part of Security Council resolution 2254 (from 2015), which called for setting a schedule and process for drafting a new constitution.
The latest round of discussions represents the first time that delegates have met after a hiatus of nine months, caused by differences over the agenda which were resolved by March – and then by COVID restrictions.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
Gaza: As world waits for US peace plan news, UN aid teams stress need for ceasefire
UN agencies reiterated calls for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday to help alleviate Palestinian suffering, as a new US 20-point plan raised hopes of a halt to the fighting.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza City continues to overwhelm the war-torn enclave’s medical professionals, with four more hospitals forced to shut down this month alone, the UN World Health Organization said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
A UN Human Rights report released today details the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained since Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine in 2022.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNICEF
Sudan war: Life-saving cholera vaccination campaign begins in Darfur
Amid the devastating war in Sudan, UN aid teams are overcoming major obstacles to curb a cholera outbreak claiming lives across the country, with young children particularly at risk.
2
1
2
Edited News , B-roll | UN WOMEN
Women and girls still reeling from Afghanistan's recent deadly earthquake face even greater suffering rebuilding their lives and livelihoods without much more help from the international community, UN Women said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Rising civilian casualties, growing ethnic violence and the grim humanitarian situation in Sudan underscore how the crisis there is deepening, according to a UN Human rights report published today.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNITED NATIONS
United Nations agencies staff demonstrates on Place des Nations in Geneva to denounce the killing of their colleagues in Gaza.
1
1
1
Edited News | WMO
The world’s water resources face growing pressure from climate change while emergencies related to the vital resource are increasingly impacting lives and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk addressed the Human Rights Council during a meeting on the Israeli strike on negotiators in Qatar on Tuesday. “Israel’s strike on negotiators in Doha on 9 September was a shocking breach of international law, an assault on regional peace and stability, and a blow against the integrity of mediation and negotiating processes around the world,” he said.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Gaza: Thirsty and starving, war-battered families face ‘inhumane’ evacuation
As bombs continue to fall on Gaza City as part of the intensifying Israeli military operation, families with starving children are being pushed southwards from one “hellscape” to another, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
New UN Human Rights report finds 10 years of increased suffering repression and fear
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday published a report on the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) since 2014.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNICEF , UNHCR
The ongoing humanitarian response to the devastating Afghanistan earthquake disaster continued on Friday, although essential services have been cut for operational reasons following reinforced Taliban restrictions on women working with the UN, the global body said.