Secretary General of the Syrian National Coalition’s political committee, Riyad al-Hassan, on Friday stressed that resuming the political process in Syria is “a step in the right direction.” However, he warned of the failure to enforce the provisions of UN resolution 2254 calling for a ceasefire, the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need, and the release of detainees.
Al-Hassan pointed out that the Assad regime and its allies’ continued crimes against civilians in the ‘de-escalation zone’ in northwestern Syria will render the political process “meaningless.” He added that this process “will reach a deadlock as was the case in the past years in Geneva because of the regime’s rejection of any progress towards a political solution and its insistence on pursuing a bloody military solution.”
The Coalition reiterates the calls for the implementation of international resolutions, especially the Geneva Communique of 2012 and UN resolution 2254 which stated in its fifth article that it “acknowledges the close linkage between a ceasefire and a parallel political process.”
Al-Hassan went on to say that a ceasefire should enter into force with the launch of the Constitutional Committee which the UN envoy Geir Pedersen said it may convene soon in his briefing to the UN Security Council on Thursday. Such measure will be one the confidence-building measures stipulated in the UN resolution 2254 along with Articles 13 and 14 which called for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the release of detainees.
In his briefing to the UN Security Council, Pederson said that the differences over the launch of the Constitutional Commission has become minimal as he expected the Committee will convene before the end of September.
Pederson also said that an agreement had been reached on the appointment of two joint chairmen for the Committee, with one of them representing the Syrian opposition. He noted that the launch of the Committee must be accompanied by measures that have an impact on the ground, including progress in the issue of detainees and the forcibly disappeared. (Source: Syrian National Coalition’s Media Department)
