UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th October, 2020) UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem met in Damascus to discuss all issues related to the Syrian Constitutional Committee, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Monday.
"Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy for Syria, has just left Damascus. Mr. Pedersen had comprehensive discussions with Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Expatriates Affairs Walid Muallem," Dujarric said. "Mr. Pederson touched upon all issues related to Security Council resolution 2254, including the Constitutional Committee."
Dujarric also said that Pedersen would continue consultations with the opposition Syria Negotiations Commission and brief the UN Security Council on the discussions on Tuesday.
On Sunday, a diplomatic source told Sputnik that the two officials had met to address the resumption of the Syrian Constitutional Committee's small group talks in Geneva.
The UN-backed Syrian Constitutional Committee is a product of long-standing efforts by international mediators to reconcile the Syrian government and opposition. The 150-member body with equal representation of the government, opposition and civil society was launched on October 30, 2019 to work toward drafting a new constitution.
The Syrian Constitutional Committee has a smaller committee within it consisting of 45 members - 15 from each of the three represented groups - that is engaged in preparing constitutional initiatives. The full Committee is responsible for adopting such initiatives.
The most recent session of the Syrian Constitutional Committee took place late in August in Geneva.
