The second Geneva conference on Syria is scheduled to begin, after months of delay, in Geneva, Switzerland, on Jan 22. Of late, some hopeful signs of a resolution to the Syrian crisis have emerged. For instance, the ongoing process of destroying Syria's chemical weapons and the broad agreement within the international community to end the conflict through peaceful means are strong examples of productive global cooperation. But despite that, it is still unclear whether the Geneva conference, or Geneva II, can yield any positive results.

To begin with, major world powers, including the United States, Russia and China, remain divided over the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Washington insists that Assad should step down as part of any political resolution, because it doesn't want him to play a role in the proposed transitional government. The Syrian opposition, too, has set Assad's departure as a precondition for attending the Geneva talks. The Syrian government, however, has dismissed such preconditions, saying that the fate of Assad can be decided only by the Syrian people.

All this will make it difficult for Geneva II to achieve any real breakthrough.