Dr. Jamous: No Guarantee of a “Safe Environment” Without a Political Solution
August 13, 2024
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Geir Pedersen, met today (Tuesday) with members of the Syrian Negotiation Commission in Geneva. During the meeting, he provided a briefing on his activities within the context of the Syrian political file, the latest developments in the positions of various countries, and what the Negotiation Commission can do to achieve the best results in the political solution process.
During the meeting, the President of the Syrian Negotiation Commission, Dr. Bader Jamous, reviewed the changes in the positions of some European countries on the Syrian issue, as well as the latest developments in the American, Turkish, and Arab positions. He pointed out that the normalization carried out by some Arab countries with the Syrian regime has not resulted in any valuable outcomes.
The president expressed genuine concerns among Syrians about shifts in the positions of some countries away from UN Resolution 2254, which is considered the only international path capable of achieving stability, security, and a peaceful political transition.
He also spoke about the conflicting stance of the UN envoy regarding the concept of a safe and neutral environment, emphasizing that this issue should be the result of the political process and should be implemented by the transitional governing body as stipulated by UN Resolution 2254. He stressed that this issue cannot be proposed prematurely, as no entity can guarantee this environment without a political solution.
Dr. Jamous pointed to the worsening crises of Syrian refugees in host countries around the world and the need for the United Nations and the international community to take this matter seriously and with care. He called on the UN envoy to provide numerous clarifications regarding the fate of the step-for-step approach, the issue of early recovery, and the Early Recovery Fund, which the Syrian opposition sees as ineffective and fears might benefit the regime and provide it with points of penetration that support its security and military solutions. He also requested a briefing on the activities of the UN envoy’s office concerning advancing the political solution and the political process at the level of the Security Council and active countries.
Geir Pedersen:
For his part, the UN envoy expressed his aspiration for continuous and joint work with the Syrian Negotiation Commission and its leadership. He considered such meetings an important opportunity to exchange views and place matters and concepts in their realistic context.
Pedersen reiterated that Security Council Resolution 2254 received consensus in the Security Council. It is a broad resolution that addresses all the challenges facing Syria, and it must be followed up on. There must be Syrian-Syrian discussions between the Negotiation Commission, representing the Syrian opposition, and the Syrian government.
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