Great opportunity to establish peace in Syria, but also faces serious risks – eSHOP24X7

The United Nations never stopped working behind the scenes to seek a dignified, free and fair political solution, even as the fighting intensified.

These are some of the major developments in which the United Nations has played an important role in establishing a just peace in Syria.

2012: Beginning of serious peace efforts

In March 2011, less than a year after the pro-democracy protests, the Syrian government took violent action against them.

Those demonstrations, which began in Tunisia, were called the first revolution of the Arab Spring, which shook most of the Arab world.

Kofi Annan (1997-2006), then UN Secretary-General, was entrusted with the responsibility of leading efforts to resolve this conflict, as joint special envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria.

Kofi Annan prepared a six-point plan calling for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies, the release of prisoners, the start of inclusive political negotiations and unhindered access to international media.

In April 2012, the Security Council approved this plan by adopting resolutions (2042 and 2043).

Under this, the United Nations Observer Mission (UNSMIS) in Syria was established, but it ended after some time in August of the same year due to increasing civil conflict.

As a result of the Syria Action Group meeting in 2012, the Geneva Communiqué was published. Many Middle Eastern countries and five permanent members of the Security Council participated in this meeting.

This document, adopted with the support of both the General Assembly and the Security Council, is based on Kofi Annan’s peace plan and has since guided United Nations mediation efforts for a political settlement.

2014: confrontation in Geneva

In August 2012, Kofi Annan resigned as Joint Special Representative and was replaced by senior Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi. This was the period when this conflict became a full-blown war.

In January 2014, then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened an international conference known as Geneva II.

After this conference, thanks to the efforts of Lakhdar Brahimi, representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition participated in a dialogue.

But in the end no agreement could be reached between the two parties. Lakhdar Brahimi postponed the talks and did not continue his mission after May 2014.

2015: Major resolution passed

Lakhdar Brahimi’s successor was Staffan de Mistura, another senior UN negotiator. Under his leadership, great success was achieved in 2015.

In 2015, following diplomatic dialogue between Russia, the United States and other key international stakeholders, the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) was created to discuss a rapid end to the conflict in Syria.

As a result of the talks, Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015) was adopted, establishing the sequence and schedule of the political transition.

This included negotiations on establishing a credible, inclusive and non-communal government, and the process and timeline for drafting a new constitution was decided.

He also called for free and fair elections to be held under the supervision of the United Nations.

2016: Fight impunity for war crimes and atrocities

Impunity, that is, failure to hold accountable elements and parties responsible for atrocities, has been a hallmark of the Syrian civil war.

Accountability, one of the founding principles of the United Nations, has not only been a challenge for the organization but has also hindered conflict resolution efforts.

The United Nations worked diligently during the civil war to investigate human rights violations and monitor the actions of terrorist groups:

The Platform’s main resolution on Syria (No. 2254), adopted unanimously in December 2015, calls on Member States to explicitly call on the self-proclaimed ISIL (Daesh) in Iraq, the al-Nusra Front, predecessor of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), Al Qaeda and The call to stop terrorist acts committed by other terrorist groups has been reiterated.

He also called on all parties to immediately deliver humanitarian assistance to those in need and release all arbitrarily detained people, including women and children.

An important step to combat torture was taken on December 21, 2016, with the establishment of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) through a resolution of the General Assembly.

The IIIM was created to assist in the investigation and prosecution of the most serious crimes under international law, particularly crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

On December 8, following the news of the fall of the Assad government, the IIIM issued a statement expressing its hope that the Syrian people could finally live in a country based on justice and the rule of law.

The Commission said: “At the center of future discussions and efforts of the Syrian and international community must be responsibility for the unspeakable suffering of the past 13 years… launching efforts to end widespread impunity for almost all atrocities imaginable.”

“This must include all crimes such as hospital bombings, the use of chemical weapons, systematic torture in state prisons, large-scale sexual and gender-based violence and even genocide.”

2024: a new era of hope and uncertainty

UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced on Sunday, December 8, “With the fall of a long-standing dictatorial regime in Syria, ordinary citizens have the opportunity to move towards a stable and peaceful future.

But he also stressed that there is still much work to do to revitalize Syrian institutions and achieve systemic political change.

Norwegian diplomat Geir Pedersen, the Secretary-General’s special envoy to Syria, appointed in October 2018, called for an “urgent political dialogue” in Geneva to ensure a peaceful future for Syria.

“This dark chapter has left deep wounds,” Geyer Pedersen told reporters. “But today we welcome this new beginning with cautious optimism. We hope this will be the beginning of peace, reconciliation, dignity and inclusion for all Syrians.”

Geyer Pedersen also stated that no obstacles should stand in the way of peaceful change. “Of course, we know that HTS now largely controls the country, but it is also important to remember that it is not the only armed group in Damascus.”

Referring to his confidential conversation with the Security Council, he explained how the transfer of power in the country is full of uncertainties.

The situation is extremely volatile and the Special Envoy told a secret Security Council meeting on December 9: “There is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity must be seized by the Syrian people themselves and supported by the United Nations and the international community.” “must be done.”

Syria and the United Nations

• Syria’s population is approximately 25 million. This country, which borders Türkiye, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel, joined the United Nations in 1945.
• Israel’s border also includes the Golan region in southwestern Syria. Israel has been in possession of two-thirds of this area since 1967. Apart from this, Israel captured the remaining territory in December after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in 2024.
• In the wake of the Yom Kippur War in 1974, the United Nations Observer Force (UNDOF) was created to maintain a ceasefire between Syria and Israel. The Security Council renews the mandate of this force every six months.
• The UN works with more than 200 humanitarian partners to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable through humanitarian aid programmes. Through this, necessary assistance is provided to thousands of people in need throughout the year.
• In recent years, the United Nations has helped build the resilience of affected communities by improving livelihood opportunities and access to basic services, especially among the most vulnerable households and communities.
• The United Nations Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF) was created in 2014 to fill the critical gap in the humanitarian response. The Fund also seeks to expand access through funded projects and responses to all areas of Syria.