UN Announces Geneva-2 to Be Held On January 22

Negotiators representing the Syrian government and “opposition” will meet for the first time since start of the country’s 32 month-old war in Geneva on January 22, the UN announced Monday.

According to the Voice of Russia, UN Chief Ban Ki-moon called the landmark conference “a mission of hope” to end the war in Syria.

But he stressed to both sides that the aim of the meeting will be to carry out a declaration adopted by the major powers in June 2012 calling for a transitional government.

“The secretary general expects that the Syrian representatives will come to Geneva with a clear understanding that this is the objective, and with a serious intention to end a war,” said the UN spokesman Martin Nesirky.

“The conflict in Syria has raged for too long. It would be unforgivable not to seize this opportunity to bring an end to the suffering and destruction it has caused,” Ban said through his spokesman.

Ban praised the efforts of Russia, the United States and UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi in pressing for the conference which has been delayed several times.

Divisions in the Syrian opposition, doubts about the government’s commitment to the conference and deciding whether key countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia should take part have all clouded efforts to bring the two sides together.

The conference will be a follow up to a meeting held in Geneva in June 2012 when the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France- the permanent UN Security Council members – and other key states agreed a call for a transitional government.

“We will go to Geneva with a mission of hope. The Geneva conference is the vehicle for a peaceful transition that fulfills the legitimate aspirations of all the Syrian people for freedom and dignity, and which guarantees safety and protection to all communities in Syria,” said Ban.

“Its goal is the full implementation of the Geneva communiquù of June 30, 2012, including the establishment, based on mutual consent, of a transitional governing body with full executive powers, including over military and security entities,” he added.

The Security Council has backed the declaration in a resolution, making it legally binding.

Ban said he “will expect all regional and international partners to demonstrate their meaningful support for constructive negotiations.

“All must show vision and leadership. All can begin working now to take steps to help the Geneva conference succeed, including toward the cessation of violence, humanitarian access, release of detainees and return of Syrian refugees and internally displaced to their homes,” Ban said.

Russian PM Sergei Lavrov confirmed that Geneva-2 will be held on January 22.

H. Mustafa