On December 18th, the United Nations unanimously approved Resolution 2254, which is to serve as a roadmap toward peace in Syria.
“By approving Resolution 2254 today, this council is sending a clear message to all concerned that the time is now to stop the killing in Syria and lay the groundwork for a government that the long-suffering people of that battered land can support,” said Secretary of State John Kerry. “After four and a half years of war, this is the first time we have been able to come together at the United Nations in the Security Council to embrace a road forward.”
Resolution 2254 reaffirms the Council’s endorsement of the Geneva Communique of 2012 and a transitional governing body with full executive authority; establishes a timeline for a transition, an election, and the standards for Council’s endorsement of the Geneva Communique of 2012 and a transitional governing body with full executive authority; establishes a timeline for that election; and calls for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria as soon as possible.
Under UNSCR 2254, the purpose of negotiations under UN auspices, planned for January 2016, is to facilitate a transition within Syria to credible, inclusive, nonsectarian governance within six months. The process would lead to the drafting of a new constitution and arrangements for internationally supervised election within 18 months.
UNSCR 2254 also urged all members of the International Syria Support Group to use their influence to press actors on the ground to positively respond to requests for humanitarian access and, most importantly, for all to put an end to the daily horrendous attacks on civilians.
The key, said Secretary of State Kerry, is that the process must be led, shaped and decided, and implemented by the men and women of Syria. “It cannot be imposed from the outside and we are not seeking to do so,” he said.
“We have agreed on a plan of action, and the council’s vote today is an important boost on the road to a political settlement. Let us proceed with confidence from here and a determination to end this war, eliminate the terrorist threat, and enable the people of Syria to return safely to their homes.”
