Syria’s Constitutional Committee meets for 1st time at UN’s Geneva HQ

Syria’s Constitutional Committee, composed of government and opposition members, held an inaugural meeting on Wednesday as a first step in what the United Nations described as “a long road to political reconciliation.”

The 150-member body held an opening ceremony in a gilded hall of the UN European headquarters in Geneva, Reuters reports. The meeting was convened by UN special envoy Geir Pedersen with the backing of major powers. “This is a historic moment,” Pedersen told the gathering.

The committee begins its work as the government consolidates military control in Syria.