UN: New meeting this month to draft Syria constitution

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. special envoy for Syria says invitations have been issued for a sixth meeting of the committee charged with producing a new constitution for war-torn Syria in October. The five previous meetings of Syrian government, opposition and civil society representatives have failed to make any progress. Geir Pedersen told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that “we should all now expect the constitutional committee to begin to work seriously on a process of drafting — not just preparing — a constitutional reform.” Pedersen said the 45-member drafting committee will meet in Geneva starting Oct. 18.