Meeting of the Small Body of the Syrian Constitutional Committee: Arrivals and press conferences

Syria Constitutional Committee presser - Hadi Albahra - continuity

33:53

MP4

2.4 GB

29-08-2020

Edited News , Press Conferences

Meeting of the Small Body of the Syrian Constitutional Committee: Arrivals and press conferences

ENG

Shotlist Story

Shotlist of the Edited footage of Geir Pedersen’s comments to the Press, including the participants arriving at UN Geneva earlier:

Medium shot: Syrian Constitutional Committee participants arriving by minibus, Palais des Nations, United Nations Geneva.
Medium shot: Syrian Constitutional Committee participants arriving by minibus, led by Opposition co-chair Hadi Albahra, Palais des Nations, United Nations Geneva.
Medium shot: Syrian Constitutional Committee participants arriving by minibus, Palais des Nations, United Nations Geneva.
Medium shot: Syrian Constitutional Committee participants arriving by minivan, led by Government of Syria co-chair Ahmad Kuzbari, Palais des Nations, United Nations Geneva.
SOUNDBITE (EN) - UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen: “There are still very strong disagreements and you know, my Syrian friends are never afraid of expressing those disagreements. But I was also, you know, extremely pleased to hear the two co-chairs saying very clearly that they thought also there were quite a few areas of commonalities. And what I’m looking forward to is hopefully when we meet again, that we will be able to build on those commonalities and bring the process further forward.”.”
Close-up: journalists’ hands typing on laptop, Press Room III, UN Geneva.
Medium shot: journalists wearing facemasks, seated, typing on laptops, Press Room III, UN Geneva.
SOUNDBITE (EN) - UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen: “I am confident that we have been able to build a little bit of confidence, a little bit of trust and that we can build on this and continue the work that we have started, we would see progress in the work of the committee. But as I have said, progress is happening, it’s of course up to the Syrians themselves within the Committee.”
Medium shot: journalist wearing facemask, seated, typing on laptop, Press Room III, UN Geneva.
Close-up: journalist’s hands typing on laptop, Press Room III, UN Geneva.
SOUNDBITE (EN) - UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen: “It is calmer and that is obviously conducive to the talks that we are having. But at the same time, I think we have agreed the principle that the talks that are happening here in Geneva do not depend on the situation on the ground. We are, you know, in all my briefings to the Security Council, this is one of the key issues I am addressing, and appealing for the parties to make sure that we develop this calm into what we have called in line with Security Council Resolution 2254, a nationwide ceasefire.”
Medium shot: journalists wearing facemasks, seated, worknig on laptops, with Special Envoy Pedersen listening via earpiece at podium, rear of shot, Press Room III, UN Geneva.
SOUNDBITE (EN) - UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen: “No, the issue of abductees, detainees and missing persons as you know, has been one of my so-called five priorities from when I started, and it’s an area where I’m afraid we haven’t seen enough progress. But of course, it is my hope that with the continued calm on the ground and with progress on the political track, that we could also see some progress on this front.”
Medium shot: video-journalist filming, Press Room III, UN Geneva.
SOUNDBITE (EN) - UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen: “It is stated in the terms of reference that to be able to proceed in the end we would need consensus or a 75 per cent majority. And this is of course something in place exactly to be able so that we can move – that all the sides know that they cannot force their views upon the other – if we are to reach, you know a new constitutional reform, it will have to be built as I said either on a strong consensus or bringing people together with a 75 per cent majority.”

Edited footage of Geir Pedersen’s comments to the Press, including the participants arriving at UN Geneva earlier
Edited footage of participants arriving at UN Geneva earlier
Continuity of Mr Pedersen’s comments in EN
Continuity of opposition co-chair Hadi Albahra’s comments (he spoke mainly in AR but with some EN).

UN Syria negotiator welcomes ‘commonalities’ shared by Syrians in Geneva talks

Syrian opponents meeting in Geneva as part of efforts to find a peaceful end to nearly a decade of conflict in their country have found common ground on which to pursue further discussions, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen said on Saturday.

Speaking to journalists in the Swiss city after a week of “challenging” stop-start talks, interrupted by the discovery that four participants had tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, Geir Pedersen insisted that “several areas of commonalities” had been found.

“There are still very strong disagreements and you know, my Syrian friends are never afraid of expressing those disagreements. But I was also, you know, extremely pleased to hear the two co-chairs saying very clearly that they thought also there were quite a few areas of commonalities. And what I’m looking forward to is hopefully when we meet again, that we will be able to build on those commonalities and bring the process further forward.”

He added: “I am confident that we have been able to build a little bit of confidence, a little bit of trust and that we can build on this and continue the work that we have started, we would see progress in the work of the committee. But as I have said, progress is happening, it’s of course up to the Syrians themselves within the Committee.”

Hoped-for trust-building gestures from the Syrian Government and the opposition including progress on the release of abductees and detainees had been elusive, he said. “The issue of abductees, detainees and missing persons as you know, has been one of my so-called five priorities from when I started, and it’s an area where I’m afraid we haven’t seen enough progress. But of course, it is my hope that with the continued calm on the ground and with progress on the political track, that we could also see some progress on this front.”

Highlighting the keen global interest in the Geneva process, given the presence of several major regional and international nations inside Syria, the Special Envoy reiterated his call for a nationwide ceasefire, beyond the fragile truce largely holding in Syria’s northwest.

“It is calmer and that is obviously conducive to the talks that we are having,” Mr. Pedersen insisted. “But at the same time, I think we have agreed the principle that the talks that are happening here in Geneva do not depend on the situation on the ground. We are, you know, in all my briefings to the Security Council, this is one of the key issues I am addressing, and appealing for the parties to make sure that we develop this calm into what we have called in line with Security Council Resolution 2254, a nationwide ceasefire.”

The third session of the UN-facilitated Syria Constitutional Committee (small body) discussions convened in Geneva after a nine-month break, caused by differences over the agenda which were resolved by March, and then by COVID restrictions.

Earlier negotiations to decide the make-up of the Constitutional Committee (larger body) were held in Geneva at the end of October 2019.

The committee comprises 150 participants, 50 from the Syrian Government, 50 from the opposition and 50 from civil society – the so-called “middle third” - who hail from different religious, ethnic and geographical backgrounds.

Under the Committee’s rules of procedure and terms of reference agreed by participants, the small group of 45 people is tasked with preparing and drafting proposals.

These are then discussed and adopted by the 150-member larger body, although the 75 per cent decision-making threshold means that no single bloc can dictate the Committee’s outcomes.

At the start of the week, Mr. Pedersen told journalists that meetings had been “constructive” and that a “clear agenda” for the session had been agreed.

Owing to the interruption caused by the COVID-19 development, Mr. Pedersen explained that he would continue discussing the agenda for the Committee’s next meeting separately with the two co-chairs, Ahmad Kuzbari from the Government and Hadi Albahra for the opposition.

But as the UN-facilitated process belonged to the Syrian people and their representatives, it was up to them set a new date for the next round of talks, the Special Envoy insisted.

He also reiterated his confidence that the process would result in a fair representation of the wishes of all Syrians, in line with its terms of reference agreed by the co-chairs.

“It is stated in the terms of reference that to be able to proceed in the end we would need consensus or a 75 per cent majority,” he said. “And this is of course something in place exactly to be able so that we can move – that all the sides know that they cannot force their views upon the other – if we are to reach, you know a new constitutional reform, it will have to be built as I said either on a strong consensus or bringing people together with a 75 per cent majority.”

Teleprompter

[Other language spoken]

For those of you who've remained and if you are still on the online, just to repeat, if you are in the room, you should have English and Arabic interpretation.

We appreciate that.

If you're online, you may not have the interpretation.

I will also take questions both from in the room and from online.

I'll turn over the floor now to the Co chair nominated by the opposition.

Thank you very much for coming.

Good evening to all of you.

As you know, we have concluded this round of meetings for the Syrian Constitutional Committee and we can, as you have said that the translators, they would be part for some time with us then they will leave.

I will be providing both in Arabic and English when they leave the their booth.

Thank you for all of you Noraheb.

Majority here.

Arabic or English?

[Other language spoken]

Oh, and you stand off be more to and.

[Other language spoken]

Fiyum and Nantel B.

[Other language spoken]

Doctor Hadi, I just one second.

I just wanted to thank the interpreters and note that they will be leaving for the evening.

[Other language spoken]

And to your question.

[Other language spoken]

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[Other language spoken]

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[Other language spoken]

I mean OK, she said you keep you and the special envoy insisting that there is something positive in these talks while what we see that there is no agreement on the next meeting, the date of next meeting or the agenda of next meeting.

So where how you see it positive.

My reply is was that the the main difference in in the talks where the principles we consider as part of the constitutional reform all what talked about today from all sides.

They constitute measure principles within or any constitution.

The other side, they insist there are this is outside the constitution and we have to have community on it.

Then we discuss how to put it inside the constitution.

But in reality, if I take all the whatever paper they submitted, whatever paper submitted by the third, middle, 3rd and our representatives, we find a lot of communality in them.

And we understand also that there is no military solution for Syria and but currently there is no ceasefire, permanent use for ceasefire in Syria.

So as long as violence and military clashes possibility, we will not see the political process moving fast, but and that's why we lay the responsibility completely on the international community and.

On all the countries in the world that their duty is to push for a full ceasefire all over Syria, a permanent one.

When we see that happen, we will see the political process moving faster because all the side they will know that there is no way for them to achieve, you know, a final victory on military term.

And This is why not possible because you have in Syria the two major international power present in military term, whether the USA and Russia.

We see the biggest regional military forces exist inside Syria, mainly Turkey.

The presence of the Iranian and their militias and all these international players, they try to avoid to have clashes among them because if they clash, it would be a big danger for the international peace.

So accordingly also all of them, they will not permit any victory for any one side.

So the insistent of following any military operation is *******.

It will create more destruction for Syria.

It will destroy whatever remains of our economy.

In accordance of this, my own expectation that within the coming few months we will see a complete comprehensive ceasefire all over Syria, and at that time we will see more international effort to push the political process forward to let it move faster.

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Why the difference in agenda?

You, you said the agenda was set while the special envoy says no agenda has been set yet for the next meeting And why we see this slow progress in the work of the committee?

So I said what the special envoy talked about the agenda, he was talking about the upcoming agenda for the next meeting which we are hoping to take place either by the end of this month or early first week of next month, October.

[Other language spoken]

But we know that we issued a statement previously as per the envoy.

Special envoy also issued a statement that we cannot hold the meeting without an agenda, clear agenda.

So he will be doing his effort immediately after this meeting to start discussing the possible agendas for the next meeting.

The agenda I talked about positively, it was the old agenda for which was the subject of our current meeting.

[Other language spoken]

He asked me because he didn't hear my reply the last time.

He said that when I mentioned the presence of different military, foreign military armies inside Syria that he heard only that I mentioned the US, Russia and Iran and I forgot to mention Turkey.

Actually, I I mentioned Turkey immediately.

I said the two top power in Syria, Russia and the US and the largest regional military power in presence inside Syria.

And I mentioned Turkey and Iran, but also I said for us, he said, what is your position from this military presence?

So our position is clear.

[Other language spoken]

We want to, we are committed to the unity and the integrity of the Syrian territories, the unity of our people.

We aspire to the day where we don't see any foreign forces on our soil in Syria.

But in actuality, the Syrian crisis, it's much more complicated, interfere now with international issues, regional issues, touch the security, for example, of countries bordering countries.

So solving this cannot be achieved unless there is a political solution.

And major players, international and regional players, they issued position, the US issued position that they would leave if there is political solution.

Turkey, I think a week ago or three days ago, they were clear statement that they are not interested to stay in Syria forever or to occupy Syria.

And they are ready to withdraw all their troops out the moment there is a political agreement signed to implement 2254.

Another regions of paramount to the regime delegation.

As far as I know, the regime delegation always talk about the unity of the Syria, they emphasise the unity of Syria and then they condemn the foreign presence in Syria.

But on the other hand, YPGPKK occupies significant amount of Syria, large area of the Syria they occupies.

And recently YPG made agreement with a company from United States oil agreement.

Did any regime delegate raise this issue during this constitutional committee meetings or how's the reaction of this Occupy occupation?

I don't, I don't think any Syrian agree for a presence of any terrorist organisation inside Syria and especially also foreign terrorist organisation or any foreign militia.

Put it in general for us, we want everyone out.

Our position on terrorism is very clear.

We, we are seeking to have within the Constitution a special clause that encourage and commit the state to fight and combat terrorism, extremism and also to deal with the roots and especially with the hate speech which creates some extremism and also end up with some terrorist acts.

This we see it as a basic pilot.

So we are against all separatist movement.

We seek for Syria to stay a united country and we, we, we don't have anyone who support any project which end with dividing Syria.

The oil contract, no, it wasn't brought forward.

But also we we concentrate on this point that all natural resources in Syria is owned by the Syrian people because the sovereignty itself, the owner of sovereignty are the people and the people elect their representative to practise this authority.

So, but we hope that if there is a political solution in place, first the misery of the Syrian people will stop.

We can come out to talk about reconstruction, moving ahead in the future with the real genuine political transition which all Syrian deserve.

And we get all our natural resources within our hand and control to finance rebuilding Syria and moving toward the future.

OK, last question, anyone?

OK, I thank you all very much.

[Other language spoken]