UN Guided by Syria Political Transition

BEIRUT (AP) -- A top adviser to the United Nations envoy for Syria said Tuesday that their "main guidance" for the first intra-Syrian peace talks in 10 months will be a Security Council resolution that calls for political transition.

U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura is putting the "finishing touches on arrangements" for Thursday's start of talks in Geneva between government and opposition delegations, the fourth round since early last year, his chief of staff Michael Contet told reporters.

Contet noted that Security Council resolution 2254 asks the envoy to convene "formal negotiations on the political transition process." The new talks will revolve around three issues: "Credible, inclusive and nonsectarian governance", a new constitution, and free and fair elections.

The last U.N.-mediated talks were suspended in April amid renewed fighting. Government forces have since recaptured areas around the country including rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo — President Bashar Assad's biggest victory since the conflict began in March 2011.

According to several estimates, Syria's war has killed some 400,000 people, displaced millions and sent more than four million refugees to neighboring countries.

Contet's comments in Geneva came as some 40 human rights groups and other organizations said that the talks should prioritize five key human rights issues during negotiations.

The groups said in a statement Tuesday that achieving respect and promotion for human rights during any transition and post-conflict will require key legislative and constitutional amendments to enshrine rights protection in law.

The groups that include Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Physicians for Human Rights say the priorities are "to end unlawful attacks and to ensure aid access and safe passage for fleeing civilians, detainee rights, justice, and security sector reform.

"One of the main goals of the Geneva talks should be putting an end to the violations against Syrians who have faced bombing, chemical attacks, starvation, illegal detention, and more horrors," said Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "To be meaningful, any peace plan should bolster a ceasefire agreement with the respect for human rights."

The statement came a day after some 200 fighters and their families left the Damascus suburb of Sargaya for the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib as part of a deal with the government to evacuate the area. Over the past few years, tens of thousands of fighters and their families have been evacuated from around the country to Idlib province.

(KA)