The Syrian National Dialogue Congress, held in Sochi on 30 January 2018, called for the establishment of a Constitutional Committee. As the guarantor states of the Astana platform, Turkey, Russia and Iran have been working in close cooperation and coordination with the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura to implement the results of the Congress.

Most recently, the heads of delegations of the three countries participating in the Astana meetings came together with De Mistura in Geneva on 18-19 June 2018 and discussed the principles concerning the composition and functioning of the Committee. The discussions between the Astana guarantors and the UN Special Envoy for Syria regarding the Constitutional Committee will continue in Geneva in the coming weeks.

On 5 July, the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC) submitted to the UN Special Envoy for Syria the list of 50 candidates, prepared in coordination with Turkey, for members who will represent the opposition in the Constitutional Committee. On the same day, Turkey officially confirmed in writing to the UN Special Envoy for Syria that it supports the list prepared by the SNC.