UN: constitutional committee should lead to end of Syria war

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.”