New York, Sept. 19 -- While deep distrust persists among warring parties in Syria, a "faint but real ray of hope" emerged with the convening in Geneva of the Constitutional Committee after a nine-month hiatus, the top UN envoy helping chart a path out of the near decade-long conflict, told the Security Council on Friday.

Geir O. Pedersen, Special Envoy for Syria, said the third round of discussions, held in August, were mostly substantive and parties had agreed an outline agenda. The co-chairs expressed the sense that common ground was emerging, in some areas.

Real differences persist

There were also "very real" differences on substance, even at the general level, he said, and the co-chairs were not able to agree while in Geneva, on an...