UN Confidential Memo: Can’t Enforce a Syrian Peace Deal

Local Editor

In a confidential strategy paper, the office of the United Nations' top envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, warned that the organization would be unable to monitor or enforce any peace deal that might emerge from landmark political talks underway in Geneva.

Relatively, the paper raised concerns that the world might harbor unrealistic expectations about the UN's ability to oversee and verify a cease-fire in the crisis.

According to the "Draft Ceasefire Modalities Concept Paper" by de Mistura's team: "The current international and national political context and the current operational environment strongly suggest that a UN peacekeeping response relying on international troops or military observers would be an unsuitable modality for ceasefire monitoring."

Meanwhile, the maddening complexity of establishing a cease-fire comes on top of the challenge of just getting the warring parties to the negotiating table.

However, De Mistura appeared to have few illusions that any agreement to come out of the Geneva talks would lead to Syria's immediate peace. Instead, the paper noted that all sides will have to painstakingly negotiate a series of cease-fires, town by town. That, in turn, would hopefully lead to a nationwide cease-fire and, ultimately, peace.

His paper also sought lowering expectations for what the UN or other international monitors could accomplish in Syria.

De Mistura's paper outlined three options for monitoring a cease-fire: deploying a "fully independent international" monitoring operation, relying on local monitors with technical support from the international community, and deploying a more traditional team of local and international monitors. That last option would provide the "highest levels of credibility," but it "entails high physical risk," requiring security assurances from armed groups and their international backers to shield the process from being threatened by violent "spoilers."

Over time, the international community must work toward deepening its role in supporting peace efforts on the ground, de Mistura warned. "This means we must collectively understand and accept the risks involved," he said. "We are on standby to develop a realistic approach."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team