Syria reform talks a ‘big disappointment’, says UN envoy

The UN’s peace envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Friday wrote off the latest meeting between the Syrian government and opposition figures as a “big disappointment”.

Mr Pedersen said the Syrian constitutional committee talks in Geneva this week had made scant progress and that no new date had been set for a follow-up meeting.

“It is fair to say that the discussion today was a big disappointment,” Mr Pedersen said afterwards.

“We did not manage to achieve what we had hoped to achieve … I think we lacked a proper understanding on how to move that process forward.”

The UN-backed committee comprises envoys from the government of President Bashar Al Assad, the opposition and civil society.

In this round of talks, the envoys did not agree on draft texts about reforming the war-torn country’s government.

Expectations were low before this sixth round. They followed a nine-month gap from the previous meeting and past rounds made little progress on devising a new constitution.

The war’s front lines are largely unchanging and Mr Al Assad’s forces, with foreign support, have recaptured most of the country, giving him little reason to negotiate with opponents.

Syria’s decade-long war has killed as many as 450,000 and displaced half the country’s prewar 23 million people, including more than five million refugees mostly in neighbouring countries.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Red flags

Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

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Southampton 2

Armstrong 13', Soares 20'

Manchester United 2

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Rating: 3.5/5

ICC Awards for 2021

MEN

Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)

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What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.