CCSDS Negotiating Peace for Syria

4. CCSDS Negotiating Team at/advocating at Track 1 Table.

The CCSDS leadership is conscious of the sensitivity of political negotiation and the need to have citizen support for the outcomes of the negotiations. The CCSDS negotiating team will reflect the diversity of CCSDS and Syrian society. Its model is the team of five CCSDS women who took part in the UN Women meeting in Jordan on the subject of the participation of women in the negotiations. A similar approach will be adopted for CCSDS involvement in Track 1 negotiations; it will choose a diverse and multi-skilled Negotiating Team, men and women,  and a reserve panel to supplement the team when required.

The Negotiating Team will have preparatory meetings and develop appropriate processes of consultation. It will build on the work developed by the CCSDS team during the November workshops and further discussions. It will endeavor to draw on the team’s expertise and viewpoints in developing positions as the negotiations progress. However, it is recognised that peace negotiations require confidences to be kept within the negotiations and in relation to some conversations behind the scenes, so public sharing of all aspects of negotiation is not possible.The point of the negotiations is to reach agreements that can be implemented with the support of all the people of Syria. This will entail compromises and adjustments in positions to be made. All members of the CCSDS staff team will need to invest trust in the CCSDS Negotiating Team so it has the confidence and authority to evolve and adapt the CCSDS position as the negotiations progress. If CCSDS is an actor in Track 1 negotiation it will have to take responsibility, with others, for the outcomes.

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