The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Press Conferences | UNOG , UNITED NATIONS
UN.Special Envoy for SYRIA Press Conference 17 October 2021
UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Sunday welcomed the consensus reached by both Co-Chairs of the Syrian Constitutional Committee (Small Drafting Body) to not only agree to prepare for constitutional reform, but also to start “a drafting process” on a text that will help support a peaceful future for the country, after more than a decade of war.
The development follows close to nine months of negotiations led by Mr. Pedersen with the Co-Chairs - who represent the Government of Syria and the opposition - to reach consensus on constitutional reform. Syrian civil society is represented by the so-called “Middle Third”.
It comes after the fifth meeting of the 45-member Small Drafting Body in January, where the Special Envoy said that insufficient progress had been made and that there was a realization that “we could not continue the way we have been going”.
To prepare for the week-long session in the Swiss city, the Special Envoy explained that in a first on Sunday, the two Co-Chairs “were sitting down together with me for a substantial and frank discussion on how we are to proceed with constitutional reform and indeed what we are planning for the week ahead of us”.
Important as constitutional reform is to a durable peace in Syria, Mr. Pedersen insisted that the Committee would not be able to solve the Syrian crisis on its own, in an appeal for continued international efforts to help the devastated country and its people.
“There are more than 13 million Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance and 90 per cent of those in the country live below the poverty line,” he said.
It is nearly two years since the first meeting of the full Syrian Constitutional Committee, a 150-member body which comprises 50 representatives of the Syrian Government, 50 from the opposition and 50 from civil society. Fifteen members of each bloc represent the Small Drafting Body.
ends
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IFRC , OHCHR
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the International Organization for Migration, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Health Organization, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
2
3
2
Press Conferences | WMO
Launch of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)'s Air Quality and Climate Bulletin 2024.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OHCHR
The UN disability rights committee (CRPD) presented the findings of its 33rd session on DPRK, Finland, Kiribati, Maldives and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | HRC
UN Human Rights Council President Ambassador Jürg Lauber briefs the press in Geneva ahead of the Council's 60th session.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , IFRC , UNHCR , OHCHR , UN WOMEN , UNFPA
Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Women, the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Agency, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the International Federation of the Red Cross.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNOG , OHCHR , UN WOMEN , OCHA , WHO
Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Women, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNOG , OHCHR
Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , UNITED NATIONS
Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed the press in Geneva on Friday on famine in Gaza.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , OHCHR , WHO , WFP , UNHCR
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, as well as representatives and spokespersons of the World Health Organization, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Food Programme, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNOG , WHO , OCHA , OHCHR
Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , WHO
Rolando Gómez of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Press Conferences , Statements | UNEP
After 10 days of UN talks on plastic pollution, no consensus was reached; negotiations to continue.