The UN's Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura has just released the first draft of a 21 point, 4 phase political solution framework for Syria, in the latest attempt to bring to rest the country's five year long civil war.
Of course, if things were that easy, something would have already changed. But what does this draft actually include?
Here's what you need to know.
1. The formation of a Transitional Governing Body does not come until the third, transitional stage. Here, the document specifies parties coming to the negotiation table must forgo the use of war weapons like barrel bombs, terrorism and chemical weapons. Considering how widespread each of these are, that's not going to be easy.
2. Not everyone will be allowed to stay. One point reads: ”As a means to build confidence in the process, the Interim Agreement will include a mutually agreed list of [120] names of persons who for reasons of their role in the conflict shall not hold office during the transition." It also notes certain intelligence bodies will close. And while it doesn't say specifically, we can pretty safely assume this includes the country's robust secret police system.
3. But the framework doesn't actually mention Assad directly. Whether it's US Secretary of State John Kerry saying the US would eventually have to negotiate with him, or rebels promising not to stop until he's gone, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a big, fat question mark in discussions about Syria's future. So where does he fit in to the UN's framework?
Check out the full draft here. Via Twitter.
New - Full UN Envoy Staffan de Mistura #Syria Transition Framework Plan, via @alsourianet - pic.twitter.com/yxHGgFa1JM
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) September 2, 2015
