It has taken four mediators to push Syria’s warring sides to establish a constitutional committee to salvage a crumbling political process aimed at ending the devastating civil war.
On Wednesday, representatives from President Bashar Al Assad’s regime, the opposition and society are to meet in Geneva to lay out their vision for the country’s future.
The UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pederson, the fourth man in the job, and his predecessor Staffan de Mistura led negotiations for nearly two years between all sides to “open a window of opportunity for wider political negotiations”.
But experts and officials believe recent events in Syria cast doubt on what the Geneva process could deliver.
US President Donald Trump announced a troop withdrawal from north-east Syria this month, which allowed Turkey to sweep across the border and push Kurdish militia out of the area.
The development followed a Russian-Turkish agreement for a buffer zone in north-east Syria.
Mr Pedersen said he hoped the talks would offer “a sign of hope for the long suffering Syrian people”.
“Obviously, a constitutional committee in itself will not change much,” he told the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva.
“But if handled correctly, and if there is political will, it could be a door-opener for a broader political process."
The talks, if successful, will establish under a UN Security Council mandate a nationwide ceasefire and elections.
Who are the participants?
The final committee is composed of 150 people from the government, the opposition and society who will discuss and adopt the constitutional proposals.
The UN assisted in drawing up the society list, which includes Syrians from a range of political, religious, ethnic and geographic backgrounds.
When all sides come to an agreement, 15 participants from each of the three represented groups will form a panel to draft the final document, while the larger body will be responsible for enforcing it.
This will pave the way for nationwide elections.
The constitutional review is a vital part of the UN’s efforts to end the conflict, which has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since erupting in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests.
What can these talks achieve?
In many ways, the problem in Syria is less about the constitution than its implementation, Mona Yacoubian, senior adviser at the US Institute of Peace, told The National.
“Here the regime has proven time and again it is unwilling to respect the most basic human rights, let alone respect basic laws or decentralise authority to various regions,” Ms Yacoubian said.
Previous UN envoys have failed to negotiate a stop to Syria’s eight-year war.
The Geneva process continues to be overtaken by developments on the ground, Ms Yacoubian said.
“With the regime now poised to take back much of the north-east, there is little incentive for it to co-operate with the process.
“Under these circumstances, it is hard to envision how a constitutional draft will bring peace to Syria."
Opposition members believe the success of the committee will rely on the regime and its allies, Russia and Iran.
Moscow and Tehran remain the most influential external powers supporting the Assad regime.
"They have tried hard to tilt the agreement to their own needs and to the interest of the Assad regime," Yahya Al Aridi, opposition spokesman told The National.
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Racecard
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
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The National selections
6.30pm: Chaddad
7.05pm: Down On Da Bayou
7.40pm: Mass Media
8.15pm: Rafal
8.50pm: Yulong Warrior
9.25pm: Chiefdom
Jebel Ali Dragons 26 Bahrain 23
Dragons
Tries: Hayes, Richards, Cooper
Cons: Love
Pens: Love 3
Bahrain
Tries: Kenny, Crombie, Tantoh
Cons: Phillips
Pens: Phillips 2
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
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Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
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Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
