UN Syria Envoy to hold consultations on re-start of peace talks

The United Nations announced today that the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Syria will proceed with a series of in-depth, separate consultations with Syrian stakeholders and regional and international actors to take stock of their views on reopening peace talks based on the 2012 so-called Geneva Communiqué.

According to a UN spokesperson, Staffan de Mistura was instructed by the Secretary General to enhance efforts towards full implementation of the plan, adopted after the first international meeting on the issue on 30 June 2012, and since endorsed by the UN Security Council.

The Communiqué lays out key steps in a process to end the violence. Among others, it calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, with full executive powers and made up by members of the present Government and the opposition and other groups, as part of agreed principles and guidelines for a Syrian-led political transition.

Both the Special Envoy and his Deputy, Ramzy Ezzeldine Ramzy, are currently engaging these stakeholders on the nature of this process.

The Special Envoy is scheduled to brief the Security Council on the matter next week.