The US and several Arab and European countries on Thursday (September 27th) called on a UN envoy to urgently set up a committee on drafting a post-war constitution for Syria and to report on his progress by October 31st, AFP reported.

The foreign ministers of the seven countries met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss steps to advance the political process in Syria, now in its eighth year of war.

In a joint statement, they backed the "urgent convening" of the committee by UN envoy Staffan de Mistura that would begin work on drafting a new constitution and lay the groundwork for elections.

The seven countries asked de Mistura to report back to the UN Security Council on his progress no later than October 31st, setting a deadline for action, according to a joint statement.

Egypt, Germany, Jordan and Britain joined the US, France and Saudi Arabia in warning that "those who seek a military solution will only succeed in increasing the risk of a dangerous escalation".

De Mistura told the council this month that there were ongoing disputes between the Syrian government and opposition over the composition of the committee.

But the envoy said he hoped the committee could begin work in the coming weeks.