Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council says the launch of a committee to draft a new constitution for Syria later this month should be the beginning of a political process to end the eight-year-long Syrian civil war.
The U.N.'s most powerful body said in a statement approved by all 15 members Tuesday that it welcomes Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' Sept. 23 announcement of the agreement between the Syrian government and opposition on a 150-member Constitutional Committee.
The council emphasized its "strong support" for U.N. envoy Geir Pedersen, who will facilitate the work of the "Syrian-owned and Syrian-led" committee, to convene its first meeting in Geneva by Oct. 30.
The Security Council reaffirmed "that there can be no military solution to the conflict."
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
