Geneva V underway with hopes of security, confidence-building
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — All parties have arrived in the Swiss city of Geneva for Friday’s resumption of United Nations-led talks between Syrian government loyalists and opposition groups aimed at finding a political solution in the six-year-long conflict.
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, issued a statement on Thursday noting that all parties had arrived for the fifth round of intra-Syria talks. Geneva V comes a month after Mistura struggled to get assembled delegates to speak to each other.
This time, the Associated Press reported, Mistura has been shuttling back and forth between each side’s hotel.
German media outlet Deutsche Welle wrote earlier this month that Mistura said these negotiations would focus on four key issues: governance, constitutional construction, elections and counterterrorism measures, "including the security organization and confidence-building measures.”
Mistura has returned from discussions with regional and international stakeholders in the Syrian conflict, including trips to Moscow, Riyadh and Ankara.
The United Nations warned that 300,000 people in and around Damascus face starvation if safety is not improved so UN supplies can reach civilians.
"They are totally dependent on our supplies. Starvation will be just around the corner unless we get there in the coming weeks," Jan Egeland, UN humanitarian adviser for Syria, told Reuters news agency on Thursday.
"The increase in the fighting has disastrous effects on the civilian population. They haven't had any supplies by the UN since October in Douma, and in the Kafr Batna area not since June of last year."
The Kazakh capital of Astana has hosted rounds of talks between Syrian military faction delegations, the latest coming in mid-March.
“We have called for the activation of the ceasefire’s agreement. Unfortunately, as of the moment I am speaking with you, bombing of some areas in Syria continues by the regime. Whatever is said on this agreement is just talks and in reality it has not borne fruit,” said the Syrian opposition’s chief negotiator Mohammad Alloush.
More than 11 million Syrians have fled their homes since 2011, according to the most recent data from the International Organization for Migration with more than 5 million people having left the country.
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, issued a statement on Thursday noting that all parties had arrived for the fifth round of intra-Syria talks. Geneva V comes a month after Mistura struggled to get assembled delegates to speak to each other.
This time, the Associated Press reported, Mistura has been shuttling back and forth between each side’s hotel.
German media outlet Deutsche Welle wrote earlier this month that Mistura said these negotiations would focus on four key issues: governance, constitutional construction, elections and counterterrorism measures, "including the security organization and confidence-building measures.”
Mistura has returned from discussions with regional and international stakeholders in the Syrian conflict, including trips to Moscow, Riyadh and Ankara.
The United Nations warned that 300,000 people in and around Damascus face starvation if safety is not improved so UN supplies can reach civilians.
"They are totally dependent on our supplies. Starvation will be just around the corner unless we get there in the coming weeks," Jan Egeland, UN humanitarian adviser for Syria, told Reuters news agency on Thursday.
"The increase in the fighting has disastrous effects on the civilian population. They haven't had any supplies by the UN since October in Douma, and in the Kafr Batna area not since June of last year."
The Kazakh capital of Astana has hosted rounds of talks between Syrian military faction delegations, the latest coming in mid-March.
“We have called for the activation of the ceasefire’s agreement. Unfortunately, as of the moment I am speaking with you, bombing of some areas in Syria continues by the regime. Whatever is said on this agreement is just talks and in reality it has not borne fruit,” said the Syrian opposition’s chief negotiator Mohammad Alloush.
More than 11 million Syrians have fled their homes since 2011, according to the most recent data from the International Organization for Migration with more than 5 million people having left the country.