Stimson in the News

Mona Yacoubian in Foreign Policy on a Geneva 1.5

In

As currently conceived, Geneva II — the diplomatic process aimed at
reaching a political settlement in Syria — is headed for near-certain failure.
Continued difficulty in setting a firm meeting date underscores a fundamental
obstacle: the Syrian protagonists — particularly the opposition — are not yet
ready to talk. Even if both sides come to the table, deep-rooted differences
over the purpose, structure, and conduct of the talks as well as a widening
rift between the political opposition and armed fighters, likely would lead to
the negotiation’s immediate unraveling — with dire consequences on the ground.

Instead, the United Nations should reconceive
the Geneva process by adding an interim phase — call it Geneva 1.5 — before
attempting to bring the Syrians to the table. Geneva 1.5 would center on a
multilateral conference assembling key international and regional actors to
address some of the most pressing issues feeding the conflict and to lay the
foundation for an eventual Syrian negotiation process.

To read the full op-ed, click here

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