When Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to relinquish control of his country’s nuclear weapons arsenal, some people thought the Syrian conflict was close to ending.
News headlines throughout the world made it appear that Syria would see peace, not further bloodshed.
While it is commendable that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is continuing its mission to disarm Syria’s chemical weapons, the more pressing issue is the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Instead of delaying the start of the peace summit, world leaders should make a more unilateral effort to end the Syrian crisis as soon as possible.
According to the BBC, approximately 9.3 million Syrians are in need of some form of humanitarian assistance.
“The humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate rapidly and inexorably,” United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos said, according to the BBC.
In addition to those who need assistance, more than one quarter of Syrians have been forced to leave their homes, according to the BBC.
Why isn’t this humanitarian crisis prompting world leaders including al-Assad to convene more hearings on bringing peace to Syria?
As one may expect, some countries involved with the peace summit have asked that their requests be met before a meeting occurs.
According to the BBC, a meeting between leaders from countries like the U.S. and Russia may take place as early as later this month.
While some leaders wait in Geneva, Switzerland for the meeting to take place, the BBC reported that representatives from Syria’s government and opposition groups have not yet arrived.
“We will not go to Geneva to hand over power as desired by [Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud] al-Faisal and certain opponents abroad,” Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi said, according to the BBC.
Although the Syrian government may not welcome such a discussion, it is imperative that the peace summit also include a vote on whether al-Assad should step down as president.
Another caveat in the peace process involves Russia.
According to the BBC, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Iran must be present at the peace summit.
This demand, however understandable, has angered other groups.
If Iran joined the summit, the Syrian National Council said it would boycott the meeting, according to the BBC.
Instead of bickering over which countries should attend the summit, world leaders should convene a meeting as soon as possible.
Failing to resolve this Syrian crisis will result in the prolonged suffering of millions of Syrians.
Although leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Barack Obama are not directly responsible for the Syrian conflict, the burden falls on them to resolve this crisis.
Let’s hope Obama and Putin serve as beacons for peace and cooperation.
Shane Newell is a junior journalism major and the opinions editor at the Daily 49er.