Thank you so much Joseph, Ministers, Excellencies, colleagues, and friends,
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Geir O. Pedersen, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, briefs the before the opening of the Syrian Constitutional Committee. UN Photo by Violaine Martin
Let me start by emphasizing the obvious, and that is that Syria remains one of the gravest crises in the world and that there is a clear need for progress towards a political solution.

As the conflict in Syria enters its twelfth year - marking another grim milestone – Syrians continue to suffer in profound ways, and the hardship is only deepening.

Question: What about your discussions with Mr. Mikdad, what’s new about these discussions?

Question: Mr. Pedersen: How would you describe the discussion?

Geir O. Pedersen, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria briefs the press after the closing of the Sixsth round of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, Geneva. 22 October 2021 . UN Photo / Violaine Martin
Very good to see you and a good Friday afternoon. I hope your week has not been as hectic as mine has been. But anyway, good to see you.

Very good to see you all. Pleased that we can meet like this as Jenifer said. It is now close to two years since we had the first meeting of the Constitutional Committee. Then, as you will recall, 150 members met here in