United Nations endorses peace process for Syria, but no mention of Assad

The United Nations Security Council on Friday unanimously agreed a resolution endorsing an global roadmap for a Syria peace process, a rare show of unity among major powers on a conflict that has claimed more than a quarter million lives.

“The truth is that nothing would do more to bolster the fight against the terrorists than a broadly supported diplomatic process that gives the Syrian people a real choice not a choice between President Bashar Assad or Daesh, but between war and peace, between the violent extremes and a newly empowered political center”, Kerry said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (from left, front row), Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margall, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry vote on Syria. “There obviously remain sharp differences within the worldwide community, especially about the future of President Assad”.

“In January we hope and expect to be at the table and to be able to implement a full ceasefire”, US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters.

Western officials say a recent meeting in Saudi Arabia of opposition figures made significant headway in coming up with an opposition bloc, though Russian Federation and Iran have questioned the legitimacy of the Saudi-hosted discussions. “If the war is to end, it is imperative that the Syrian people agree on an alternative in terms of their governance”.

During a break in the talks, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said he had presented a document compiling the groups each country attending considered to be a “terrorist” organization.

“It’s going to be uphill”, said U.N. Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura.

Within six months, the process should establish “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance” and set a schedule for drafting a new constitution.

The draft calls the transition Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, stressing that the “Syrian people will decide the future of Syria”.

“This marks a very important step on which we must build”, Ban said of Friday’s resolution.

“The election needs to take place within 18 months, the same start time, so that after 6 months of the transition you’re about a year away, or less, from an election”.

Ministers said they would meet again in January, and de Mistura is now tasked with pulling together a final negotiating team for the Syrian opposition.

Foreign ministers from 17 countries met for more than five hours to discuss the deal. He said some countries “sent 10, 15, 20 names” and others more.

A group of countries will join Jordan in developing that list, Kerry told reporters, without giving details. Lavrov warned against efforts to “divide terrorists among good and bad ones”. “Without peace talks, the cease-fire can not be sustained”.

The council’s adoption of a resolution Friday backing the plan comes amid world powers’ growing sense that the top priority in Syria should be the defeat of the Islamic State group, which has exploited the country’s years of chaos and created a base from which it promotes deadly attacks overseas. It also backed a timeline previously agreed in Vienna for talks between the government on a unity government and opposition, and eventual elections. Moscow, meanwhile, has been bolstering Assad with airstrikes ostensibly aimed at ISIS but more often, according to the Pentagon, targeting other opposition fighters, including ones supported by Washington.