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Geneva 2 Press Conferences Reveal Early Tensions and Ambitions

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 28 2014 (IPS) - The initial Geneva 2 press conferences, which included Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, United States Secretary of State John Kerry, Syrian Permanent Representative to the U.N. Bashar Jaafari, chief mediator and head of the U.N. Special Envoy to Syria since 2012 Lakhdar Brahimi and Louay Safi of the Syrian Opposition, indicated dichotomies of opinion regarding the conflict and the peace talks, though there appears to be progress.

During the first press conference, the statements made by both Kerry and Jaafari indicated early differences in perspective regarding the realities of the conflict. These included key elements such as the future status of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and the role of the international community.

While some common aspects of the process were acknowledged, including the concept that any prospect for peace would need to be a “Syrian led political process,” and that the principles of Geneva 1 as a whole would need to be upheld, animosity between both sides regarding responsibility for sustaining the conflict was clearly vocalized.

Where Kerry directed responsibility toward the Assad government for failing to respond to the needs and desires of its own people, instead responding with violence, Jaafari directed claims that a large portion of the international community was responsible for supporting “terrorists” in Syria.

Ban Ki-moon’s address expressed a keen desire for both sides to seize this “enormous opportunity and responsibility to render historic service to the Syrian people,” and called for the immediate access of humanitarian aid to the suffering Syrian civilians. Since then, the humanitarian situation has been the focus of the talks. On January 26th both sides agreed to cooperate in permitting civilians to leave the city of Homs and discussions appear promising for an aid convoy to enter the city soon.

On January 25, the two sides met in the same room for the first time since Geneva 2 began. Statements made by Brahimi and the Safi both noted that humanitarian corridors and the release of prisoners were key precursor subjects. However, while Brahimi emphasized his impartiality and the day-by-day nature of the talks, Safi indicated stanch opposition to the “lies” of the regime’s media and his understanding of a stricter timeline, where Monday’s talks would involve the discussion of a transitional government.

Geneva 2 represents the first time the Syrian government and various groups seeking the removal of the Assad regime from power have met since March 2011, as the conflict was beginning. Since then, over 100,000 people have been killed, nearly 9 million have been displaced by the conflict and according to the UNSG, 9.3 million people require humanitarian aid.

Geneva 2, a peace conference led by Lakhdar Brahimi aims, with the support of the 40 attending nations, to implement the 2012 Geneva Communiqué, endorsed by the Security Council. The Communiqué calls for the formation, by mutual consent, of a transitional governing body in Syria with full executive powers. Complete agreement to the Communiqué was a necessary precursor for inclusion in the Geneva 2 conference.

 
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