The UN makes a bit of progress in ending the Middle East’s most intractable war

THOSE following diplomatic “road maps” in the Middle East often fail to reach their destination. So when the parties involved in Syria’s nearly-five-year-old civil war produced a guide for ending that conflict last month, there was much scepticism. Pessimism is still warranted, but on December 18th more progress was made on the path to peace, as the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and talks between the Syrian government and opposition in early January.

 

The measure comes after months of negotiations between world powers, most notably America and Russia, which have been divided over the future of Syria. It is the first time the security council has endorsed a peace plan. And yet it is still far from clear that the agreement reached in New York will result in an end to the fighting, which has killed more than 250,000 people and caused more than 4m people to flee the country. “No one is sitting here today suggesting to anybody that the road ahead is a gilded path. It is complicated. It will remain complicated,” said John Kerry, America’s secretary of state.

 

Read More: The UN makes a bit of progress in ending the Middle East’s most intractable war | The Economist