Vice-president of the Syrian Coalition Dima Moussa welcomed the efforts being made by the UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, to push the political process forward. She said that the remarks Mr. Pedersen made during his first briefing to the UN Security Council were “positive and congruent with the Coalition’s vision for a solution in Syria.”
Moussa stressed the importance of restarting the political process “as soon as possible” in view of the Assad regime’s desperate attempts to obstruct this process. She pointed out that the Assad regime still refuses to engage seriously and hinders all UN efforts, citing the regime’s obstruction of the formation of the Constitutional Committee as well as its continued attacks on civilians and the torture of detainees.
The UN envoy presented his first briefing to the UN Security Council late on Thursday. He stressed the importance of a comprehensive political process and the exertion of efforts on all its components as was stipulated in UN Security Council resolution 2254 through a comprehensive roadmap and the launch of the work of a balanced, credible, and inclusive Constitutional Committee as soon as possible.
Moussa also underscored the importance of bringing about a comprehensive political transition in the country as was stipulated in the relevant international resolutions, most notably the Geneva Communiqué of 2012 and UN Security Council resolution 2254. She noted that the Syrian Coalition’s efforts are currently focused on “reaching a sustainable political solution under the auspices of the United Nations.”
“We reaffirm that our political work is aimed at reaching a political solution that meets the legitimate demands of the Syrian people to build a democratic, pluralistic Syria that guarantees freedom and a decent life for all its citizens and one that is based on the rule of law and equal citizenship,” Moussa said.
Moussa went on: “We will continue to deal positively with all the efforts aimed at reaching that solution, particularly with the UN envoy to Syria.” She stressed the importance of adequate representation of women in the political process.
Moreover, Moussa pointed out that a solution in Syria can only be reached through a political process leading to a genuine transition. She said that such transition should include the establishment of a Transitional Governing Body (TGB) and the launch of a constitutional process aimed at drafting a new constitution by the Syrian people and the holding of UN-supervised elections in a safe, neutral environment ensuring a dignified, voluntary return of the refugees and displaced persons.
Moussa said that achieving these goals requires resolving the humanitarian issues, including most importantly the issue of detainees which Mr. Pedersen addressed in his briefing. She cited the UN envoy’s highlighting of the importance of respecting the international conventions; the protection of civilians; and the cessation of hostilities. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
