Co-chair of the Constitutional Committee, Hadi al-Bahra, said that he puts what happened during this session in a positive framework despite no joint session was held among the participating delegations. He said that there is a lesson learned from this round, namely the importance of adherence to the rules of procedure and agreeing on an agenda before the start of the next round.
Speaking at a press conference at the end of the session, Al-Bahra pointed out that the session included consultations through the UN envoy. He described these consultations as positive and within the framework of the Committee’s work and in the framework of making progress in the future. He added that this session clearly defined the correct basis for the continuation of this process within the framework of the Constitutional Committee’s mandate and the need to abide by its rules of procedure.
Al-Bahra stressed that the ideas and consultations that took place during the session will help push forward the work in the next sessions, praising the active role of the United Nations in facilitating these consultations and activating intra-Syrian dialogue.
“We hoped and sought to hold meetings but we did not succeed in this,” Al-Bahra said, expressing their determination to continue the work as he stressed the need to hold the next round on a clear basis starting with a real agenda dealing with the mandate of the Constitutional Committee and its main task of drafting a new constitution for Syria.
Members of the Committee have a basic task, which is key to the political process and to finding a solution leading to the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2254 under which the Constitutional Committee was formed, he added.
Moreover, Al-Bahra reaffirmed the Commission’s determination to end the suffering of the Syrian people, lift the sanctions, stop the barrel bombing, shelling and killing, and reach a political solution that leads to the implementation of international resolutions.
He pointed out that the framework of the Committee is specific and linked to specific mandate and procedural rules, so this Committee is not tasked with discussing any issues outside this framework. “There is a lesson learned from this round, namely to abide by the rules of procedure that require the co-chairs of the Committee to agree on a clear agenda 72 hours before the start of the sessions.”
Al-Bahra stressed the need for the co-chairs to interact positively and abide by the rules of procedure to agree on an agenda before the start of the next session. (Source: Syrian National Coalition’s Media Department)