Baladi News
But Geir Pedersen stressed that the constitutional committee needs to work "in parallel" with efforts on other issues. He cited governance, U.N.-supervised elections, refugees and internally displaced Syrians, humanitarian challenges, reconstruction, detainees and missing persons.
Pederson said he told the Syrian government and opposition leaders and their supporters during his recent travels that "confidence-building is needed," cease-fires must be respected, terrorism must be fought and only a negotiated solution to the seven-year conflict is possible.
One of the key issues is building trust between Syrians, he said, and for this a change is needed on the ground "to be able to move forward."
Pedersen said he hopes to build on the work of his predecessor Staffan de Mistura, saying his aim is "a negotiated outcome where two parties agree, with international support - and that will be the beginning for a new Syria."
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters here this week that he expects the differences to be resolved.
Pedersen said he hoped a meeting of the constitutional committee "would then be the start of some serious discussions that could be the door-opener to a political process that will lead to a negotiated outcome for the conflict."
He said an agreement reached last October by Turkey, which backs the opposition, and Russia, which supports Bashar Assad, avoided "a humanitarian disaster" in Idlib, the last opposition-held stronghold - "and I am pleased to see that the focus now is on finding a peaceful solution to the crisis."
Source: Mail Online.