S/PV.8635 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. After consultations among Council members, I have been authorized to make the following statement on their behalf. “The Security Council welcomes the Secretary- General’s statement on 23 September 2019, announcing the agreement of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Syrian Negotiations Commission for a credible, balanced and inclusive Constitutional Committee facilitated by the United Nations in Geneva. “The Security Council determines that the launch of the Syrian-owned and Syrian-led Constitutional Committee shall be the beginning of the political process to end the Syrian conflict, in line with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), that meets the legitimate aspirations of all Syrians. “The Security Council expresses its appreciation for the United Nations Special Envoy’s diplomatic engagement to facilitate and finalize the agreement between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Syrian opposition to form the Constitutional Committee, emphasizing its strong support for Special Envoy Pedersen and the United Nations initiative to convene the first meeting of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, by 30 October 2019. “The Security Council reaffirms that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Syria and that it can only be resolved through the full implementation of resolution 2254 (2015). “The Security Council reaffirms its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2019/12.