Talks to revise Syria’s Constitution resume

UN-hosted talks to revise Syria’s constitution—which were suspended in January—will resume today in Geneva.

Efforts to rewrite Syria’s constitution in the aftermath of the Syrian Civil War began in 2019 when the UN-backed revision committee was created, though negotiations have stalled five times with many accusing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of hampering talks.

Despite high hopes throughout the international community for the revision process to begin in earnest at this meeting, it is unlikely that any real progress will be made. The Syrian military currently holds the majority of the country and no longer faces a substantial threat from rebel forces. Additionally, May elections—though widely considered fraudulent—saw the president reelected to a fourth term with 95% of the vote. As such, no real incentive exists for a government-led constitutional revision.

Hope remains, however, that Russia may be able to encourage Assad to reconsider his current stance. Moscow serves as Damascus’ closest international ally and a recent summit between Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin saw the leaders discuss the need for “genuine intra-Syrian dialogue” on the issue. As such, expect the UN to implore Russia to further encourage Assad to engage in the revision process.