UN / SYRIA

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, announced his intention to convene round eight of the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva on 28 November. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:57
• Production Date: 26 October 2017
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: STAFFAN DE MISTURA
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: CONFLICT SITUATION; PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 2016167
• Parent Id: 2016167
• Alternate Title: unifeed171026b

Description

STORY: UN / SYRIA
TRT: 02:57
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 26 OCTOBER 2017, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

RECENT - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior

26 OCTOBER 2017, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“It is a very mixed picture. Terrorism is on the defensive, but it will not be defeated by military means alone. De-escalation arrangements are being seriously, sometimes, challenged, but they are working. So, the next Astana meeting should focus on putting the existing arrangements on de-escalation back on track and finalizing the establishment of a proper monitoring system.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“You, the members of this Council, have solely mandated the United Nations through me as the special envoy of the Secretary-General and of yourselves, to convene and advance the intra-Syrian political negotiation process for a political solution to the conflict; and no one else.”
6. Med shot, delegates
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“I wish to indicate to you, in fact announce through the Security Council, my intention to convene round eight of the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva on the 28th of November.”
8. Med shot, delegates
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“We should therefore focus, in my opinion, in round eight on two main points. One, the schedule and process to draft a new constitution. And two – and not necessarily in that order, the precise requirement for UN supervised elections as per (Resolution) 2254.”
10. Med shot, delegates
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“My focus in looking at this, at Riyad, at Astana, at anything else, is always the same. Does this help to advance the UN-led process in Geneva as per Resolution 2254 or not?”
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“Round eight is planned for 28th of November. We will try to move into real negotiations on constitution and UN-supervised elections as per 2254. We should in parallel, of course, keep exploring the issue of governance and terrorism files. And we should view any initiative, any initiative, basically by virtue on whether it contributes to UN-led political process in Geneva that you have mandated me to peruse on behalf of the Secretary-General and of yourselves.”
13. Zoom out, Security Council

Storyline

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, today (26 Oct) announced his intention to convene round eight of the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva on 28 November.

Briefing the Security Council via teleconference from Geneva, de Mistura said the next round of talks should focus on the schedule and process to draft a new constitution in Syria and the “precise requirement for UN supervised elections as per (Resolution) 2254.” He added that talks should in parallel “keep exploring the issue of governance and terrorism files.”

The Special Envoy emphasized the need for the Syrian Government to be ready to negotiate on substance, calling on those with influence over both the Government and opposition to pressure the sides to come for genuine negotiations in Geneva. He also stressed the need for active international engagement in support of the Geneva process.

De Mistura described the situation in Syria as a “mixed picture.” He said “terrorism is on the defensive, but it will not be defeated by military means alone” while de-escalation arrangements are being “seriously, sometimes, challenged, but they are working.” He said the next Astana meeting set to take place next week should focus on putting the existing de-escalation arrangements “back on track and finalizing the establishment of a proper monitoring system.” The Special Envoy warned that any de-escalation zones should not lead to a de-facto partition of Syria, reiterating the UN’s support for Syria’s territorial integrity.

De Mistura stressed that the Council has “solely mandated the United Nations” through him as the Special Envoy to “convene and advance the intra-Syrian political negotiation process for a political solution to the conflict; and no one else.” He revealed a Russian initiative to convene a gathering of Syrians at its Hmeymim airbase soon, adding that his focus in looking “at this, at Riyad, at Astana, at anything else, is always the same; does this help to advance the UN-led process in Geneva as per Resolution 2254 or not?” He added that any initiative should view viewed “basically by virtue on whether it contributes to UN-led political process in Geneva” which was mandated in the Security Council.