Edit... Mona Ismail

The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Abu Gheit, met with a delegation from the Syrian opposition headed by Salim Al-Masif, Chairman of the National Coalition, on the margins of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly

The UNU secretariat stated that the meeting addressed the latest developments regarding the Syrian crisis and the regional and international efforts to resolve it in the context of the implementation of international resolutions on it.

During the meeting, the Secretary-General had heard an update by members of the delegation on the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic. For his part, he had stressed the importance of moving forward with the revitalization of the negotiating process based on Security Council resolution 2254 (2003), which had been deadlocked for some time, and of engaging seriously in the political process on both sides.

The meeting had also reviewed the various stages of the work of the Constitutional Commission, which had not yet resulted in anything concrete. The situation on the ground and ways to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, who had been subjected to the worst humanitarian situation in their recent history, had also been discussed. Members of the delegation also heard an explanation of the risks of demographic changes taking place in Syrian society. The Secretary-General was alarmed by their potential impact on stability in the country.

For his part, during the meeting, Abu Gheit expressed his appreciation for the effort of the Coalition to reach a political settlement of the Syrian crisis with the participation of all parties and on the basis of the relevant resolutions and statements, in particular Security Council resolution 2254.