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GENEVA / SYRIA DE MISTURA
STORY: GENEVA / SYRIA DE MISTURA
TRT: 03:45
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 14 DECEMBER 2017 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Exterior, Palais des Nations at night
2. Med shot, podium
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“We did not achieve, we did not achieve these negotiations, in other words, negotiations in reality, at the end did not take place.”
4. Wide shot, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“I did not see therefore the government really looking to find a way to have a dialogue and a negotiation during this round. I have to say, regrettably. I did see the opposition trying to. I really hoped the diplomacy, not only ours, will help the government and the opposition to actually do what is expected and what was expected.”
6. Med shot, journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“We did not have, in spite, believe me by a lot of efforts by my whole team, day and night, with all sorts of creative formulas, we did not have real negotiations. We did, however have bilateral discussions with both parties. We had 7 meetings with the government and 11 with the opposition. The opposition in particular engaged with us on all four baskets – governance, constitutional process, elections and countering terrorism. They also gave me some concrete ideas on the so called 12 essential principles. The government engaged with me only on terrorism.”
8. Wide shot, journalists
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
”There is clearly a desperate need for a real political process under the UN in Geneva to implement (resolution) 2254 – everybody is feeling that. Secondly, that the intra-Syrian talks do need to produce some progress on constitutional matters, everybody had said so, everybody felt so, but in reality we were not able to move. And when we say so, that means it should be implemented through a calm and neutral environment with a credible all-inclusive non-sectarian governance arrangements and arrangements to counter-terrorism, all implemented under 2254 and that means all the four baskets. That is still the party line.”
10. Med shot, photographers
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
”The two weeks were not wasted, apart from the opposition with whom we engaged and with the government with who we engaged sadly on one subject and partially on counter-terrorism, we had the opportunity of hearing many Syrian voices, the civil society, the Syrian Women Advisory Board, and even this time very much refugees. Because sometimes we forget, but they are 5 million. “
12. Med shot, journalists
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
”So the bottom line is, I was hoping and my team worked very hard, but due to what I described to you and I tried to be as objective as I can, it is a missed opportunity, a golden opportunity missed. That does not mean, as you know our motto is: Did you try? You failed, they failed with us, you try harder and you fail better. But we are not going to give up the Syrian people, especially in this moment when in fact they are expecting that once the conflict is over they should be some political process and not pre-conditions or stone walling.”
14. Various shots, presser
UN Mediator Staffan de Mistura described the last round of intra-Syrian talks that ended today (14 Dec) in Geneva as a “missed opportunity.”
Speaking to the media in the Swiss city, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura concluded that “we did not achieve, we did not achieve these negotiations, in other words, negotiations in reality at the end did not take place.”
He said, “I did not see the government really looking to find a way to have a dialogue and a negotiation during this round,” adding, “I have to say, regrettably. I did see the opposition trying to. I really hoped the diplomacy, not only ours, will help the government and the opposition to actually do what is expected and what was expected.”
Although de Mistura did not see the progress in the talks he had hoped to have, he believes that the Geneva talks had given an opportunity to hear voices from the Syrian civil society.
The UN mediator said that ”the two weeks were not wasted, apart from the opposition with whom we engaged and with the government with who we engaged sadly on one subject and partially on counter-terrorism, we had the opportunity of hearing many Syrian voices, the civil society, the Syrian Women Advisory Board, and even this time very much refugees. Because sometimes we forget, but they are 5 million.“
De Mistura noted that bilateral discussions took place with both parties. He said, “We did not have real negotiations. We did, however have bilateral discussions with both parties.” He also said, “We had 7 meetings with the government and 11 with the opposition. The opposition in particular engaged with us on all four baskets – governance, constitutional process, elections and countering terrorism. They also gave me some concrete ideas on the so called 12 essential principles. The government engaged with me only on terrorism.”
While the talks have been taking place in Geneva, the dire humanitarian situation particularly in Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus has remained unchanged. Talking to the government delegation about the planned evacuation of sick and wounded people, de Mistura said he did not get a “satisfactory” answer.
De Mistura said that “due to what I described to you and I tried to be as objective as I can, it is a missed opportunity, a golden opportunity missed. That does not mean, as you know our motto is: Did you try? You failed, they failed with us, you try harder and you fail better. But we are not going to give up the Syrian people, especially in this moment when in fact they are expecting that once the conflict is over they should be some political process and not pre-conditions or stone walling.”
De Mistura said he was leaving Geneva to consult in New York with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on further steps. He will also meet with the UN Security Council on Tuesday.
Plans for a new round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva in January 2018 depended on the outcome of these meetings.
Syria is devastated by its nearly seven years of war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and produced millions of refugees.
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