The United Nations says expectations are low regarding the UN-backed consultations on Syria that are due to begin next week in Geneva.
UN spokesperson Ahmad Fawzi explains the need for progress.
"We face millions of refugees, hundreds of thousands killed and many more injured, and we cannot sit back. And wait. This is an effort by the secretary general of the United Nations and his Special Envoy on Syria to revive, to revive the political process to see how we can move forward, if at all, on getting to the point of a political transition."
Syria's government and opposition groups have been invited to the talks.
In the meantime, major powers and regional players have been invited for separate talks.
Iran has reportedly been invited too.
According to the United Nations, the war in Syria has killed 220-thousand people and created almost 4 million refugees.
