Co-Chairs of Constitutional Committee conclude first preparatory meeting
The Co-Chairs of the Constitutional Committee and the United Nations Special Envoy, Mr. Geir O. Pedersen held a preparatory meeting on Sunday, October 17, 2021, at the United Nations (Palace of Nations) in Geneva, Switzerland, for the sixth session of the Constitutional Committee meetings.
It is the first of its kind since the start of the Constitutional Committee after the two parties reached an agreement on the working methodology.
After the meeting, the Co-Chair of the Constitutional Committee, Mr. Hadi Albahra, expressed his optimism that the discussions of the small body of the Constitutional Committee, starting, Monday, October 18, 2021, will be “constructive and achievable.”
He anticipated that “tangible progress would be made during tomorrow’s small body meeting to understand the principles and foundations to build for the subsequent sessions.
Mr. Albahra stated that his delegation is engaging positively, and they are willing to discuss all constitutional points and principles to be transferred into applicable provisions in the constitution.
Mr. Albahra also expressed his hope that “the other party will engage positively during this session, and agree to move forward in embodying discussions and ideas with practical steps and constitutional texts that lay the foundation for the future constitution of Syria.”
Tomorrow, Monday, the SixthSession of the Constitutional Committee’s meetings, begins with the attendance of the members of the small body, and these meetings will continue until October 22, 2021, after a hiatus of about nine months. The fifth session of the Constitutional Committee’s meetings was held on January 25, 2021.
Mr. Pedersen had previously clarified that the agreement between the two Co-Chairs is based on three pillars which are: “1/ respect for the Terms Of Reference and Core Rules Of Procedure; 2/ the submission of texts of basic constitutional principles in advance of the meetings; and 3/ regular Co-Chair meetings with me before and during the coming session. The Co-Chairs are also committed to setting provisional dates for future meetings and discussing a workplan.”
He expressed his assurance that the Constitutional Committee would begin to “work seriously” on the process of drafting – not just preparing – a ConstitutionalReform. He expressed his conviction that if this was completed, there would be a different and more credible constitutional process than before. The Constitutional Committee is a first step on the path to a political solution in accordance with UN Resolution 2254 (2015).
On Saturday, October 16, 2021, the Co-Chair of the Constitutional Committee, Mr. HadiAlbahra, members of the committee’s small body and the supporting team of specialists, arrived in Geneva to participate in the sixth session.
The meetings of the Constitutional Committee come after the United Nations announced on September 23, 2019, that “an agreement had been reached between the Syrian government and the Syrian Negotiation Commission on the formation of a balanced, credible, and inclusive Constitutional Committee. It includes representatives of the government, the opposition, and civil society, to discuss and prepare a draft of a new constitution or constitutional reform.”
This is within the path of a political solution in accordance with the Geneva Communiqué and based on UN Security Council Resolution #2254 (2015) and related resolutions.
