YouSaid · the spoken record

De Mistura

lines on the record: 707
first: 2008-01-21
most recent: 2018-12-20
sittings or episodes: 34
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“It is also central to the Secretary-General's considerations on the upcoming sequence of events, and I am not the only one to emphasize the urgent need to advance that work. On 27 October, we saw a quadrilateral summit take place in Istanbul between the Presidents of the Republic of Turkey, the French Republic and the Russian Federation and the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. I attended that meeting and briefed the four leaders. The summit was important because it was composed of two groups of countries with influence, including some of the guarantors of the Astana group, who had also been convening the Sochi meetings in January, and the members of the so-called small group on Syria.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“The Secretary-General has asked me to complete one final task: to verify whether the Sochi final statement can be implemented or not, and either to convene - which I hope to do - or leave clarity on exactly why we have not convened a United Nations- facilitated, Syrian-owned and Syrian-led constitutional committee that is credible, balanced and inclusive, and that contributes, in the context of the Geneva process, to the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015). That work is therefore - as far as I am concerned and I am sure the Council will agree with me - absolutely urgent. It is vital to make progress in the political process, particularly on the constitutional committee.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“Mr. De Mistura: It is good to be with the Council. Since my previous briefing to the Council (see S/PV.8383), the Secretary-General has announced that Mr. Geir Pedersen of Norway - a good friend of mine and an excellent choice, ifI may say so - will be the new Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, following my own announcement that I will be moving on in the near future. The precise date will be determined by the Secretary-General in the light of all of the relevant circumstances. I therefore anticipate that I will be briefing the Security Council once again in December.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“I will leave no stone unturned until the last day of my assignment in order to be able to take advantage of any opportunity to issue invitations to a first meeting of the constitutional committee and to assess the outcome of all those discussions and meetings, including by briefing the Secretary-General and the Security Council about the clarity of the constitutional committee and why things are moving or why they are not moving. The Council deserves to have all of that in November, and I have the duty to clarify that. The meeting rose at10.45 a.m”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“Thirdly, there will probably be more than one meeting of the small group, with one taking place on Monday 29 October. We also heard of a possible summit between President Putin and President Trump in November, and we are scheduled to brief the Security Council at least once more on 19 November. So during this period, I have been asked to monitor especially the Astana group, because they have a task that was given to them for the month of November. I will continue to ascertain the feasibility of the follow- up to the Sochi declaration and that of the constitutional committee in order to report accordingly to the Security Council and to the Secretary-General.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“Mr. De Mistura: Let me first clarify one point. When I had the very intense and long meeting with Minister Al-Moualem, he did not raise the issue of terrorism. That is why I did not specifically refer to that in today's meeting about my visit to Damascus. The only issue was the constitutional committee. Let me remind the Council that November is a very special month, not because of my departure, but because there are a lot of opportunities for some progress with regard to the constitutional committee. First, the Istanbul summit is scheduled for tomorrow, 27 October. Secondly, there will certainly be a meeting of the Astana group, and we are looking forward to seeing whether the Astana group will be able to draft some type of proposal that the United Nations can hopefully approve and decide whether it is credible and inclusive.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“If it is feasible, the United Nations will convene such a committee as soon as possible. I will, in any case, share a full assessment as Special Envoy when I brief the Council in person on 19 November. Meanwhile, we shall keep our door open, and we shall keep under review all options for a constructive and credible outcome.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“Seeing as members of the Small Group on Syria will meet on Monday in London, I will also use that occasion to host a meeting with them later on, within the context of the Geneva process. I really look forward to hosting the Astana guarantors very soon. They themselves met in recent days and, according to their statement, discussed many aspects of a constitutional committee. That meeting will be vitally important to consultations. I will spare no effort in the time that remains to my mandate to verify whether it is indeed possible to convene a United Nations-facilitated, Syrian- owned, Syrian-led constitutional committee that is credible, balanced and inclusive and that contributes, in the context of the Geneva process, to implementing resolution 2254 (2015).”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“I am honoured by this invitation and will use that occasion to remind those four important leaders that, given the fact that a catastrophe in Idlib has so far been avoided; that the international consensus to see a credible and balanced constitutional committee with United Nations facilitation as soon as possible; and that the instructions given to me by the Secretary- General - whom I am constantly consulting on the matter more than ever before - require me to exhaust every avenue in the time that remains to my mandate, there is, in my opinion, still a clear window of opportunity that needs to be urgently seized. The influence that can be exercised by all world leaders, including in particular the four world leaders meeting tomorrow in Istanbul, can be crucial in ensuring that this happens.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“The United Nations is not opposed to constructive and moderate suggestions so long as we maintain the same spirit of credibility - I repeat, credibility - balance, and the international legitimacy of the middle third list on the table. There is a sense of urgency to find common ground or to at least clarify where we stand, because we should not miss the opportunity offered by the IdIib window. That is why November is becoming so important. Let me also stress once more that the United Nations believes it is important to ensure a minimum of 30 per cent women representatives in the committee and that this requires at least 24 of the 50 representatives in the middle third to be women. Tomorrow, I will be travelling to Istanbul to brief the Presidents of France, Germany, Russia and Turkey when they meet to discuss Syria.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“Since Minister Al-Moualem indicated that the Government's preferred methodology at this stage was to work with the Astana guarantors on a third list, a great deal of responsibility and expectation rests now on them and on how to implement the Sochi declaration in a manner that would carry forward the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015) and give practical effect to the basic points that the United Nations supported in Sochi. As I have already indicated, the United Nations proposal was made after careful consultations, including with the guarantors, and has already been revised in the light of those consultations. The sheer difficulty of keeping everyone on board should be a reminder to all to be careful in thinking that some radically different approach has any prospect of success.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“The efforts of those who convened and sponsored Sochi to ensure that the Government of Syria would be fully on board with the outcomes of the Sochi final declaration have not, as of today, produced the outcome we were hoping for. Otherwise, we would have heard something different. Taking into account, first, the mandate ofthe Special Envoy, embodied in resolution 2254 (2015); secondly, Minister Al-Moualem's different understanding of the role of the United Nations and of the Sochi final declaration; and thirdly, the extent of the Government's desire to reopen the work today, we have a serious challenge ahead. Let me be frank. It is my intention to spare no effort to address this challenge during the coming weeks.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“I should add that Minister Al-Moualem stated that the Astana guarantors had rejected the initial United Nations proposal on a third list. I, for my part, indicated that this was not really the case and that while they had suggested the need for some changes, they were engaging on the proposal and that it had already been revised more than once. I also indicated that all three guarantors supported the role of the United Nations, as per resolution 2254 (2015) and the Sochi declaration. The Government has expressed its position clearly and I can say that it has indicated that it wishes that position to be made public, which I am currently doing. However, I cannot at this stage report any evolution on its position beyond what I have just said and what I have heard myself, which I am reporting to faithfully to the Council.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“I observed that, to me, this seemed to fully respect the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic. Indeed, it was an invitation to exercise that sovereignty. At a certain point, Minister Al-Moualem proposed that I withdraw the proposed middle third list already on the table. I indicated that the United Nations could Withdraw its proposal only once and only if there was an agreement on a new, credible, balanced and inclusive list consistent with resolution 2254 (2015) and the Sochi final statement. I urged that we seize the opportunity to ascertain if that was possible or not. Minister Al-Moualem indicated that he would get back to me ifnew instructions came from his own leadership. However, he also said that he preferred, at that stage, to await the outcome of my forthcoming consultations with the Astana guarantors.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“final agreement is to be reached in the United Nations-led Geneva process on the mandate and terms of reference, powers, rules of procedure, and selection criteria for the composition of a constitutional committee." I explained in detail during the last briefing the criteria that guide us in approaching the questions on the list, which I went through with Minister AI-Moualem. Most importantly, I stressed that the United Nations was in Damascus precisely to consult the Government on the list. As the facilitator, I offered for the United Nations to work there and then with the Government if the Government objected to particular names, or even on the development of a new, credible balanced and inclusive list as long as it had those characteristics.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“The first task was "to form a constitutional committee comprising the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic delegation along with wide-represented opposition delegation for drafting of a constitutional reform as a contribution to the political settlement under the United Nations auspices in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015)". Secondly, the "constitutional committee would at the very least comprise Government, opposition representatives in the intra-Syrian talks, Syrian experts, civil society, independents, tribal leaders and women; care would be taken to ensure adequate representation of Syria's ethnic and religious components; and...”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“I indicated that it was also appropriate and logical for the United Nations, as the mediator mandated by the Security Council, to seek understandings with Russia regarding a meeting that Russia had proposed in Sochi, hosted and facilitated, in order to ensure a common understanding of how the initiative would contribute to the United Nations-mandated process. I reminded Minister Al-Moualem of the convening role of the United Nations, mandated by resolution 2254 (2015). I also recalled the terms of the Sochi final statement, as circulated by the Russian Federation to the Council. I would also remind the members of the Security Council today of what was agreed.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“For my part, I welcomed the chance for the United Nations to talk directly with the Government about the constitutional committee. I also regretted that this had not been possible since the Sochi meeting and that the Government had declined the United Nations offers to engage it directly on the constitutional committee and its follow-up. I recalled that it was in this context of non-engagement by the Government with the United Nations that the United Nations began to work with the Astana guarantors, at their own suggestion, on a package and that Russia and Iran had informed the United Nations that they had been constantly consulting the Government as the consultations proceeded.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“Basically, Minister Al-Moualem did not accept a role for the United Nations in general in identifying or selecting the middle third list; rather, Minister Al-Moualem indicated that the Government of Syria and Russia had agreed recently that the three Astana guarantors and the Syrian Government would, in consultations among them, prepare a proposal with regard to the third middle list and present it to the United Nations facilitation. I should add, just for the sake of completeness, that Mr. AI-Moualem, did not on that occasion or in that meeting, indicate the Government's views on the mandate, chairmanship, decision-making or any other aspects of the rules of procedure necessary for a constitutional committee to function.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“He said that it was possible for the Government of Syria to take some elements of the outcome circulated by Russia and "reconcile" them with the Government's preferred other outcome. The key differences in this regard concerned mainly the role of the United Nations. With regard to the understanding reached between Russia and the United Nations before the Sochi event, which I mentioned specifically when I briefed the Council on 17 October, Minister Al-Moualem did not view it as consistent with the principles of sovereignty and non-interference.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“I appreciated the quite frank nature of the exchanges that we had in Damascus. Minister Al-Moualem expressed appreciation for his meeting with the Secretary-General during the General Assembly. He indicated that it paved the way for the meeting in Damascus. I will now refer as accurately as possible to what I heard from Minister Al-Moualem. He strongly underlined the principles of sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of United Nations Member States. He underlined that the Syrian Constitution is a highly sensitive matter of national sovereignty. On the Sochi final statement, Minister Al-Moualem referred to another outcome, rather than the one circulated by the Russian Federation to the Council.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the opportunity to address the Council from Beirut. (spoke in English) I take this opportunity to update you, Sir, and the members of the Security Council on developments with regard to Syria that have taken place since my last briefing (see S/PV.8373), which took place last week in New York. Today, I will focus in particular on an update on my consultations in Damascus two days ago. Following the meeting between the Secretary- General and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic, Mr. Al-Moualem, on the margins of the General Assembly, I met Minister Al-Moualem in Damascus on 24 October. We focused on the political process and the efforts to convene a constitutional committee.”
2018-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8383 (2018) · source
“Fourthly, since my personal plan, in consultation with the Secretary-General, has always been to end my mission, for purely personal reasons, in the last week of November - four years and four months after it began - my intention, and as per the instructions of the Secretary-General, is to dedicate this crucial last month to actively verify, once and for all, the feasibility of the implementation of a credible and inclusive constitutional committee, as well as the implementation of the Sochi declaration. I will therefore report in November to the Secretary- General and the Security Council on the status of the implementation of the constitutional committee in order to allow the Secretary-General and the Security Council to draw their own conclusions, so that my own successor can start his or her own mission with a clean slate.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“Our assessment is that if there is political will, there is no reason for a constitutional committee not to be convened in November - 10 months after the Sochi declaration. Secondly, the main reason for the delay in convening in Geneva the first session of a credible and inclusive constitutional committee involves the difficulties that the Government has in accepting the current third list of participants prepared by the United Nations in accordance with the Sochi declaration and resolution 2254 (2015). Thirdly, I plan to discuss that pending issue during my forthcoming mission to Damascus and report back to the Secretary-General and the Security Council thereafter on the outcome.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“In fact, the Secretary- General has instructed me that my last month of service should be used to actively verify whether or not the United Nations is in a position to convene a credible and balanced constitutional committee, and report to the Security Council accordingly. I plan to do so with clarity and frankness and count on the support of the Security Council and all Syrian counterparts to do so. Let me summarize the bottom line of my message, which has been long. First, the Idlib memorandum of understanding provides a unique window of opportunity for launching a credible and inclusive constitutional committee. We must take advantage of it. That is, and remains, our aim.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“However, we are not ready to convene a committee that is not credible and balanced. In that regard, having consulted the Secretary- General, let me also give the Council a heads-up, ifI may. I will myself be moving on, as of the last week of November. I have had the honour to serve for four years and four months as Special Envoy. For some time, I have been discussing with the Secretary-General my desire, for purely personal reasons, to move on. I deeply appreciate his constant support and wise counsel with regard to this matter, but I will definitely not say goodbye or engage in reflections today. A month can be a century in politics. We will continue to have a very intense and, hopefully, fruitful month ahead. 1 will not lay down my charge until the last hour of the last day of my mandate.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“For the moment the de facto map of Syria today is relatively stable, but it must not become a de facto soft partition, nor a theatre for new international confrontations. There must therefore be a political path forward. President Putin and President Erdogan have said that the Idlib deal offers a window for the constitutional committee to be established and the political process to go ahead. The European Union, for instance, will host a third Brussels conference in March 2019, and we know that its decisions will depend on a credible political process. The United Nations has done all that it can - and, frankly, more - to find a way to convene a credible and balanced constitutional committee. We are ready to do more, and do it faster, during the upcoming months, taking advantage of the Idlib window of opportunity.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“I hope we will see more in the upcoming months. For instance, the Working Group on the release of detainees/abductees and handover of the bodies and the identification of missing persons, met again last week in Tehran. We continue to urge it to come up with its first tangible results, as many, many people in Syria are waiting for them. Let us look now at the big picture for a moment before we go back to the constitutional committee. A catastrophe has so far been averted in Idlib and the Russian-Turkish memorandum of understanding appears to be being implemented. Major strides have been taken in defeating terrorism, and that should continue to be a priority. The territorial base of the Islamic State in Syria and the Levant has largely been erased, although it does remain dangerous.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“I would then hope to be in a position to issue invitations to convene the committee, if possible during November. I can offer no guarantee as to whether this is possible, but what I do know after nine months of preparations is that it is important to launch a credible constitutional committee and that whatever transpires, I would like to come back and brief the Council in November on where we stand. Let me remind us all that if steps are not taken towards achieving a safe, calm and neutral environment, the work of a constitutional committee would not end up being very meaningful. We all know that. But first things first. On the constitutional committee front, despite our best efforts regarding steps towards a safe, calm and neutral environment, we have seen very few concrete outcomes during 2018.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“I would like to inform the Security Council that the Government of Syria has invited me to Damascus next week in a follow-up to the meeting with the Secretary-General during the general debate. I plan to engage with them on the work that has been done on the constitutional committee. If the Council wishes, I will of course be ready to report back to it after my visit on whether those direct consultations have produced the approval of and agreement on a credible and inclusive third list, as we hope. Before the end of the month I also intend to invite the Astana guarantors for consultation with me in Geneva and to engage with the small-group countries. In my view that would be our final opportunity to put the finishing touches to the preparations for convening a constitutional committee.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“For its part, the Syrian High Negotiations Committe, as we call the opposition, confirmed to the Secretary- General during the general debate its readiness to move ahead on the basis of the broad package on the table. The opposition met at the beginning of this week in Riyadh, and most of the nominees for the constitutional committee are right now sitting together in internal consultations in order to prepare for their work. The small-group countries - Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States - have all urged the United Nations to convene a constitutional committee without delay. Similar messages have come during the past few days from a large number of European and Arab Foreign Ministers with whom I met during the general debate.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“For their part, two of the Astana guarantors, Russia and Iran, have also significantly questioned the middle-third list, indicating that it does not meet the Government's requirements, despite the extensive consultations and the Sochi understanding. At the same time, they have indicated that they are continuing to engage with the Government of Syria on the matter, and indeed, as we speak, senior Russian officials will be visiting Damascus in the next few days. Turkey, which initially felt that our list could benefit from revision, has recently indicated its own full understanding of the logic and composition of the third list.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“At the meeting, the Foreign Minister voiced strong doubts about the Sochi final statement and its outcome, indicating that the Government had a very different understanding of those matters. He called for a fundamental reassessment of the work that had been done to date on the middle-third list and rules of procedure, as well as on the United Nations facilitation role. For his part, the Secretary-General reiterated the Sochi statement and its outcome, as well as the mandate of the Security Council, and offered to have me explain the work that has been done on it in much more detail. He appealed to the Foreign Minister to ensure that the Government could work in partnership with the United Nations.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“Of course, these arrangements should all be consistent with respect for Syria's sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity. The United Nations facilitation should enable the Syrians themselves to engage with one another and independently and democratically determine their own future with dignity. Clearly, the key parties are the Syrian parties, but equally, the prospect of an effective constitutional committee also rests on strong support from key countries. They will be further engaged by us in the coming weeks. Let me start with the Government of Syria. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Al-Moualem met with the Secretary-General during the general debate of the General Assembly, a meeting that I also attended.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“The committee could be mandated to draft constitutional reform for popular approval, as a contribution to the political settlement in Syria, leading to a new political structure and giving effect to the Sochi final statement of 20 January. Within the context of the Geneva process to implement resolution 2254 (2015), such a constitutional reform could aim to embody in the Constitution and constitutional practices of Syria the letter and spirit of the 12 principles developed in Geneva at great length and with a lot of hard work, endorsed in Sochi, and offering the people of Syria a vision ofa future that can be shared by all. The constitutional committee could work in Geneva with an impartial Syrian chairmanship acceptable to all components, supported by United Nations facilitation and with appropriate decision-making arrangements.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“This meant bringing many qualified and expert women of all backgrounds into the middle third, and indeed the proposed middle third is almost half women. That is what has guided United Nations efforts to facilitate the middle third and revise it into a new list, as has already been done. I have also carefully facilitated development as per resolution 2254 (2015) and the final statement of the Sochi National Dialogue Congress. They both stipulate that on a logical basis I should prepare some basic aspects of the process and rules of procedure that could enable the constitutional committee to work. From the three lists of the Government, the opposition and the middle third, it would be possible to identify a smaller group, numbering 15 from each, to form a drafting body for the constitutional committee.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“Of course, we know that all Syrians, like all of us, have a political opinion or leaning, which is totally natural. But we sought a fair balance among the various political leanings so that no one side could dominate the committee. This is a very key part of what we consider to be the credibility and legitimacy of the list. We ensured the adequate representation of various ethnic, religious and regional backgrounds, as well as a balance between those living inside Syria and the millions of Syrians, who, for the moment, are living outside their country due to the conflict. Lastly, with the full support of the Secretary- General and as part of our commitment to giving full effect to resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, we insisted that a minimum of 30 per cent of the constitutional committee should be women.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“There should be no doubt that the middle third list was very carefully developed by the United Nations. We received input from and listened to many, including the guarantors and others. Moreover, we also did our own careful homework. We sought out credible and neutral Syrian experts, including people who had played a role in the previous Constitution-making process and could bridge and build upon the two sides and with whom the sides could work constructively. We look for respected civil society representatives, independents and other Syrians of standing - individuals who, as in any other constitutional process, could somehow represent the many Syrians who are not political affiliates but still deserve a stake in their future.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“The Secretary-General has asked me to remind the Council that, in addition to the terms of the Sochi final statement itself, an explicit United Nations-Russian understanding was reached during the Vienna consultation, which took place just before the United Nations attended the meeting in Sochi. The understanding was that I, as Special Envoy, would be free to draw not only on names emanating from Sochi, but also on other names, including, if necessary, those of Syrians who did not attend the meeting in Sochi, in order to form a balanced and credible list. Let me also recall that, in any case, resolution 2254 (2015) mandates the United Nations to convene parties in the political process and assigned to the Geneva talks the task of setting a schedule and process for drafting a new Constitution.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“Let me recall how we arrived at the middle third list, which is now on the table and which has been revised more than once and updated into a new list. The final statement of the Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue, held in Sochi, spoke about the need to include "Syrian experts, civil society, independents, tribal leaders and women", with "adequate representation of Syrian ethnic and religious components". The Sochi final statement made clear that it was via the Geneva process and through the facilitation of the Special Envoy that a final selection would be made. In truth, it went even further than that.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“Yesterday, I consulted Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at length and received very clear instructions regarding our accelerated effort to convene a credible and balanced constitutional committee - the only kind that the United Nations - and by that I mean the Secretariat - would be willing to convene and the only one with which it would like to be associated. I will return to those instructions later. But, first, let us be a bit more precise about where we are. As I told the Council last month, some things are quite clear. The two lists of 50 names each for a constitutional committee submitted by the Government and the opposition, respectively, are not in question, but questions continue to be raised, mainly by the Syrian Government, about the composition of the middle third list of 50 names.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“Mr. De Mistura: When I briefed the Security Council last month (see S/PV.8345), I said that we were approaching a moment of truth in the effort to convene a United Nations-facilitated, Syrian-led and Syrian- owned constitutional committee, which, at the moment, is the main outstanding item with regard to the way we should implement resolution 2254 (2015). Everything else is still on the table but that item remains the most important one at the moment. A credible and balanced committee could be the cornerstone of an inclusive political process for Syrians in the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015), which is the only one we have.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“We need an inclusive political process and the United Nations is here to facilitate that process, starting with a constitutional committee getting to work. However, it must be credible, because only thus can the United Nations invest it with the legitimacy it needs. I ask all concerned to give the United Nations facilitation in the coming weeks - by that I mean in October - their full support.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“Last week, I was honoured - like many of my colleagues - to attend Kofi Annan's funeral. As the first United Nations Special Envoy on the Syrian conflict, he emphasized some fundamental points: a political, not military solution - this is what we see in Idlib, as it moves in this direction - with one United Nations-led process of mediation, based on inclusion and consent and backed by a united Security Council. He offered the first way out - the six-point plan and the Geneva communique (S/2012/522, annex) - but could not carry the effort forward when the Council was not united. This was a bitter price that had to be paid; we all know what happened. Sadly, it was a greatly missed opportunity, as Kofi Annan reminded me. Much has changed since then, but we all agree that there is no military solution in Idlib or anywhere else.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“There is a need to find steps that can build confidence and that can, in time, create a safe, calm and neutral environment. At a time when there is an effort to focus on refugees and rehabilitation, let us not forget that without a meaningful and irreversible political process and without real steps on the ground, the confidence required may not develop. I cannot fail to remind the Council here of the need for urgent, concrete actions on the release of detainees and abductees, the hand-over of bodies and the identification of missing persons, all of which are crucial issues that affect thousands of Syrians. Let us also remember that we must ultimately prepare for United Nations-supervised presidential and parliamentary elections, with all Syrians inside and outside Syria participating, as called for in resolution 2254 (2015).”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“Their active involvement is obviously crucial if a constitutional committee is to proceed. I will also need to engage with the opposition and a wide range of Syrian voices. Above all, I want to move beyond the current preparations and see a genuinely Syrian-led, Syrian-owned constitutional committee up and running for the good of Syria and Syrians as a core component of a credible political process. This is what we have. The political process has been reduced to one very important thing, which is the constitutional committee, along with a safe and neutral environment and elections. These are very important and sufficient to make a difference. Let us not underestimate the importance of this. There is a need to see Syrians start to talk to each other, which can take place within the constitutional committee.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“If we are not careful, this will become an end in itself. What Syrians want to know is when a credible process will start. As far as I am concerned, all the pieces are in place for that to happen; we could start in one week. If everyone supports the United Nations-led process and recognizes the need for it to be balanced and credible with sensible rules of procedure, we can move ahead very fast. Indeed, I believe that the time is approaching for me to indicate a fixed date by which the Sochi final statement is given effect by launching the constitutional committee. This next month will therefore be critical. I am ready to engage everyone. In addition to the international players, I of course look forward to engaging the Syrian parties, starting with the Syrian Government.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“We cannot afford to keep constantly consulting each other. This was - and is - my message to the Astana trio. I gave the exact same message when I met the members of the so-called small group, namely, Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. On 14 September in Geneva, I told them where we were in the process and welcomed their support. I made it clear to them, just I had to the Astana trio, that they should not seek to intervene in issues that are basically for the United Nations to facilitate - neither the lists, the rules of procedure nor the substance of the process - beyond what is in resolution 2254 (2015) and the 12 principles developed in the Geneva process and endorsed in Sochi. It is too easy to say, "we will keep consulting".”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“Approaches were suggested that I found to be inconsistent with the credibility and legitimacy needed for a United Nations-facilitated process. Meanwhile, while issues such as chairing and voting were canvassed, a lot was left unresolved regarding rules of procedure. The Astana guarantors proposed that we continue technical talks on the middle third list before another meeting in Geneva in October. While I really have no problem with such technical meetings, let me be clear. The middle third list needs be balanced and credible to Syrians from all sides and to the international community. As per resolution 2254 (2015) and the Sochi final statement, it is the United Nations and the Geneva process that facilitate and finalize the way forward. Moreover, there is an urgency to move forward and move ahead.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“These were designed to offer a minimum set of procedural points that would allow the Syrians to meet productively and progress in a Syrian-led, Syrian- owned, United Nations-facilitated process. At the start of this month, I said we were getting closer to a moment of truth. All opportunities had been offered to canvass all issues thoroughly, including via teams from my Office who visited Moscow, Ankara, Tehran and other capitals. I convened the Astana trio on 10 and 11 September in Geneva in an effort to move ahead. At that meeting, some issues became clear. For instance, the Government list is not contested; nor is the opposition list. This is important, but I have to admit that my team and I were disappointed that the middle third list - the list for which I have a particular responsibility - was significantly questioned.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source