Comprehensive solution for Syria remains elusive

In a briefing to the UN Security Council, Geir Pedersen, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, said that a solution to the Syrian crisis is still far away. Geir Pedersen underlined that the gaps of political will, the distance between the parties’ substantive positions, the deep lack of trust and the challenging international climate are the obstacles to a solution in Syria.

Pedersen, who has been engaged in intensive diplomacy on Syria for several weeks in Geneva, Beirut, Damascus and New York, said he had met several times with the Syrian Government, the Syrian Negotiations Commission and all key international actors. He stated that with Syria in ruins and peace still a distant prospect, a comprehensive solution to the Syrian conflict remains elusive.

Pedersen continued: “The suffering and the sense of hopelessness among Syrians is deepening. We cannot simply accept the status quo, because it will only get worse and worse, it could unravel, and this will lead to new challenges. We need the political process to start to deliver on the ground and to deliver hope.” Half of Syria’s population is food insecure and instead of creating the conditions for IDPs to return voluntarily and in safety and dignity, civilians continue to be killed and injured in violence. He added that tens of thousands of people have been displaced in the past month.

According to the envoy, this period has seen some of the most serious threats to the relative calm that has prevailed since 2020, including: attempts by armed groups to advance into SDF-held territory; Turkish and pro-Government airstrikes; multiple crossline raids by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group in northwest Syria; a dramatic escalation in pro-Government shelling and airstrikes in northwest Syria; and further reports of ISIS attacks.

The Syrian parties and all key international actors need to engage in reconciliation in a much more fundamental way than has been the case so far, Pedersen said, noting that if this happens, it would be possible to reverse negative economic, security and political trends. Pedersen concluded his briefing by saying that it is time to act decisively together so that the Syrian people can see a change in their lives and a ray of hope for the future.