The Higher Negotiation Committee and Syrian Negotiation Committee

Abstract: A political transition managed by a “Transitional Governing Body” was at the core of the United Nations approach for building a sustainable peace in Syria. The Syrian opposition committed itself to this principle during the Geneva negotiations of 2014 with broad international support and backing. The core group of the Friends of the Syrian People states initially advocated for delegating the management of the transitional period to this body by offering it wide executive powers. Nonetheless, the emergence of ISIS, the direct Russian military intervention in Syria, and the subsequent weaker opposition on the battlefield have contributed in a change of demands. In 2016, the international community adopted a much looser framework for political transition in Syria based on constitutional reform and elections instead. The Syrian opposition responded in the subsequent talks of 2017–2018 by adopting this international “shift” and has ultimately failed in producing their own frame of reference for the political transition in Syria. This paper delves into the reasons behind these dynamics and offers an alternative path for the opposition to move forward.