UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said Monday that people continue to die in Idlib and Aleppo provinces despite the March 2020 ceasefire. Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of negotiations in Damascus, the Norwegian diplomat said hundreds of civilians have fallen victim to armed sorties in two years of a truce.
"We are in contact with everyone to strengthen the ceasefire by declaring a ceasefire nationwide," said Pedersen, quoted by the Naharnet news portal.
The UN emissary acknowledged that he has failed to make progress toward implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2254 of 2015, which he said is considered a roadmap for a political settlement in Syria. "In order to move forward, at least minimal trust between the parties must be restored," he stressed.
According to the diplomat, the economic situation in Syria remains extremely difficult, with some 15 million people in need of humanitarian aid. "The UN continues its efforts in this direction," he said. - "And I discussed the current state of affairs with Faisal Mekdad, the foreign minister of the republic."
In addition, Pedersen noted, during his meeting with the Syrian foreign minister, the topic of the future fate of the Syrian Constitutional Committee (SCC) after eight rounds of meetings was discussed. "Although this mechanism is not working yet, it still has good prospects," he added.
The SCC, formed in accordance with the resolution adopted on January 31, 2018, in Sochi by the Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue, consists of 150 people (50 delegates each from Damascus, the opposition and civil society). The small group of the committee includes 45 people (15 delegates from each of the three segments). The SCC is to develop recommendations for amendments to the basic law of the republic, after which general elections will be held in Syria under the auspices of the UN.
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Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS