Briefing / Middle East & North Africa 05 March 2012 1 minutes Now or Never: A Negotiated Transition for Syria Kofi Annan’s appointment as joint UN/Arab League Special Envoy arguably offers a chance to rescue fading prospects for a negotiated transition in Syria. It must not be squandered. Share Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin Whatsapp Save Print Download PDF Full Report Also available in Русский Русский English العربية I. Overview One year into the Syrian uprising, the level of death and destruction is reaching new heights. Yet, outside actors – whether regime allies or opponents – remain wedded to behaviour that risks making an appalling situation worse. Growing international polarisation simultaneously gives the regime political space to maintain an approach – a mix of limited reforms and escalating repression – that in the longer run is doomed to fail; guarantees the opposition’s full militarisation, which could trigger all-out civil war; and heightens odds of a regional proxy war that might well precipitate a dangerous conflagration. Kofi Annan’s appointment as joint UN/Arab League Special Envoy arguably offers a chance to rescue fading prospects for a negotiated transition. It must not be squandered. For that, Russia and others must understand that, short of rapidly reviving a credible political track, only an intensifying military one will remain, with dire consequences for all. Annan’s best hope lies in enlisting international and notably Russian support for a plan that: comprises an early transfer of power that preserves the integrity of key state institutions; ensures a gradual yet thorough overhaul of security services; and puts in place a process of transitional justice and national reconciliation that reassures Syrian constituencies alarmed by the dual prospect of tumultuous change and violent score-settling. Such a proposal almost certainly would be criticised by regime and opposition alike. But it would be welcomed by the many Syrians – officials included – who long for an alternative to the only two options currently on offer: either preserving the ruling family at all costs or toppling the regime no matter the consequences. Damascus/Brussels, 5 March 2012 Related Tags More for you Commentary / Europe & Central Asia Türkiye’s Syria Policy after Erdoğan’s Win Also available in Also available in العربية Commentary / Middle East & North Africa Normalising Relations with Syria: How Significant?