Efforts to Organize Consultations with Syria Still Not Successful, Senior Official Tells Security Council, Stressing Cooperation Crucial to Close Chemical Weapon File
The Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) efforts to organize the next round of consultations with Syria continue to be unsuccessful, a senior official of the United Nations for Disarmament Affairs told the Security Council today, stressing that full cooperation by Damascus is essential to closing its chemical weapons file.
Adedeji Ebo, Deputy to the High Representative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, reported that, because the Syrian National Authorities had not submitted completed declarations, the Technical Secretariat has deployed a reduced team of the Declaration Assessment Team to Syria to conduct limited in-country activities. However, after Damascus proposed a meeting with the Technical Secretariat to develop a new work plan to resolve all issues related to their chemical weapons dossier, a Technical Secretariat delegation met with the country’s representatives in Beirut on 22 and 23 June to agree on a six-month extension to the Tripartite Agreement and to discuss the conduct of the twenty‑fifth round of consultations.
Nonetheless, the declaration submitted by Syria still cannot be considered accurate and complete, he reported, noting that the country has yet to provide sufficient technical information that would enable the Technical Secretariat to close the issue related to the detection of a Schedule 2 chemical at the Barzah facilities at the Scientific Studies and Research Center in November 2018. In addition, the Technical Secretariat is still awaiting information related to the unauthorized movement of two cylinders related to the chemical weapon incident that took place in Douma on 7 April 2018.
Mohamad Katoub, Project Manager at IMPACT — Civil Society Research and Development, speaking via videoconference, warned that the same regime that used chemical weapons with impunity is still in power and the same Russian Federation allies are still supporting Syria’s war criminals. Denial has been the Syrian regime’s strategy, which employs tactics such as manipulating evidence, presenting false witnesses, intimidating witnesses and running media disinformation campaigns, he said.
Yet, despite the Russian Federation’s veto of the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism’s mandate renewal, he emphasized that there are ways to bypass a potential veto against referring all perpetrators to the International Criminal Court. There are ways to stop doing nothing. “We will keep the fight to explore concrete ways to reinstate the norm of prohibition of chemical weapons by finding ways to hold all perpetrators to account, by finding States who believe that this exceptional use of [chemical weapons] requires exceptional measures to say ‘no’. No to impunity,” he declared.
In the ensuing debate, many Council members criticized Syria’s lack of cooperation with OPCW as well as its systemic failure to comply with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and resolutions 2118 (2013). Meanwhile, some speakers urged the Council to reassess the effectiveness of convening monthly meetings on chemical weapons in Syria.
“The Assad regime is betting this Council will simply move on,” said the representative of the United States, Council President for August, speaking in her national capacity. She recalled that, 10 years ago, the Assad regime released sarin on Syrian civilians in a district of Damascus, killing more than 1,400 people. “The world saw toddlers struggling to breathe” and “piles and piles of bodies lined the streets,” she reported. Underlining the need to pursue justice for the victims, she expressed regret that two permanent members have indicated they will not speak today on the matter.
However, the United Arab Emirates’ representative, while stressing that the threat of chemical terrorism is real, noted: “We must reach an agreement to hold such meetings once every three months unless significant developments warrant otherwise.” Calling for dialogue between OPCW and Syria, she also warned that Da’esh continues to carry out terrorist attacks and to exploit north-east Syria as location for launching attacks, recruiting fighters and releasing its members from prison.
Gabon’s delegate, speaking also for Ghana and Mozambique, underscored that the international community must continue to be concerned about the potential re-emergence of chemical weapons and take the needed steps to accelerate action towards a world free of chemical weapons. “The world is watching, and we must do everything within our power to address all issues that inhibit progress in the implementation of resolution 2118 (2013),” he said.
Offering a contrasting perspective, Iran’s delegate pointed out that the Technical Secretariat’s reports acknowledge that all 27 declared chemical-weapons-production facilities in Syria have been successfully eliminated, thus validating Damascus' commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Due to the fact that the report presented by the Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs did not offer any new insights into the current situation, he expressed support for the proposal to discuss this topic once a quarter, instead of monthly.
Echoing that stance, Brazil’s delegate proposed that the frequency of these meetings be adjusted to allow the Council to dedicate more intensely to other matters of higher urgency. Citing the recent contacts between members of the OPCW Technical Secretariat and the representatives of Syria in Beirut in June as “encouraging”, he said “dialogue, closer cooperation between Syria and OPCW, and continued and full compliance by Syria remain our best hope for closing this file”.
Rounding out the discussion, Syria’s delegate criticized the fact that, despite no new developments, a meeting on the same matter is being held again. The United States continues to exploit this file to serve its agenda of hostility against Syria, while its military forces, illegally positioned inside his country, have provided chemical substances to terrorists, trained them on the use of chemical weapons, staged attacks and then accused Damascus of those acts. The Government of Syria has consistently worked with OPCW, he underscored, adding that it initiated a meeting with the Technical Secretariat in Beirut to re-establish cooperation.
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THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST (S/2023/508,S/2023/558)
Briefings
ADEDEJI EBO, Deputy to the High Representative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, said that since the last round of consultations between the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Declaration Assessment Team and the Syrian National Authority in February 2021, all efforts to organize the next round of consultations have been unsuccessful. Although Syria agreed to the OPCW Technical Secretariat’s May 2022 proposal to address the declaration-related issues through exchange of correspondence, the Technical Secretariat has yet to receive any documents requested. This includes the complete declaration of activities at the Scientific Studies and Research Center and the declaration of quantities of nerve agents produced at one chemical-weapons-production facility that was declared by that country as never having been used to produce chemical weapons.
Due to this situation, the Technical Secretariat has deployed a reduced team comprising several members of the Declaration Assessment Team to Syria to conduct limited in-country activities, he said. In March, Syria proposed a meeting with the Technical Secretariat in Damascus or Beirut to develop a new work plan to resolve all issues related to the Syrian chemical weapons dossier. Consequently, a delegation from the Technical Secretariat met with the country’s representatives in Beirut on 22 and 23 June. The following points, inter alia, were addressed during the meeting: a six-month extension to the Tripartite Agreement between OPCW, Syria and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) was agreed, extending its duration up to and including 31 December; the country committed to present proposals for better implementing its obligations; and the OPCW Technical Secretariat and Syria discussed the conduct of the twenty-fifth round of consultations as the optimum means of achieving outcomes related to the Syrian chemical weapons dossier.
However, he emphasized, full cooperation by Syria with the Technical Secretariat is essential to closing all outstanding issues. Considering the unresolved gaps, the Technical Secretariat assesses that the declaration submitted by Syria still cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. The country has yet to provide sufficient technical information that would enable the Technical Secretariat to close the issue related to the detection of a Schedule 2 chemical at the Barzah facilities at the Scientific Studies and Research Center in November 2018. In addition, during the ninth round of inspections at the Barzah facility in September 2022, the inspection team observed numerous boxes containing a chemical of a dual-use nature, stored in large quantities at the facility’s chemical storage warehouse. Following the inspection, the Technical Secretariat requested information that would allow it to assess that all activities conducted therein are for purposes not prohibited under the Convention; it is still awaiting that information.
Regarding the unauthorized movement of the two cylinders related to the chemical weapon incident that took place in Douma on 7 April 2018, which were allegedly destroyed in an attack on a chemical weapons production facility, the Technical Secretariat is still awaiting information related to the unauthorized movement of these cylinders, he continued. On 28 June, the Technical Secretariat issued a report of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission regarding incidents of alleged use of toxic chemicals as a weapon in Kharbit Massasneh on 7 July and 4 August 2017. The report concluded that the information obtained did not provide reasonable grounds for the Fact-Finding Mission to determine that toxic chemicals were used as a weapon in the reported incidents. He urged the members of the Council to unite on this issue and show leadership in demonstrating that “impunity in the use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated”.
MOHAMAD KATOUB, Project Manager at IMPACT — Civil Society Research and Development, speaking via videoconference, noted that the world will soon mark the tenth anniversary of the largest chemical massacre of this century, which took place in eastern Ghouta and killed more than 1,200 people and injured over 10,000. A member of the medical team in Ghouta, he has been engaged in the response and the documentation of chemical weapons attacks. On the morning of the attack, at a nearby school, which became the decontamination centre, he said he saw bodies scattered around “turning the child-sacred space into a vast funeral home”. The towns of Ghouta were then under siege by the Assad regime and engulfed in a war where chemical attacks were just among the many war crimes occurring simultaneously. “We didn’t have protection gear, we didn’t have sufficient medical equipment to attend all patients in need, but we had hopes that if we expose those crimes, we will prevent future attacks in Syria and globally,” he said.
A few days later, the investigators of the United Nations Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria visited the sites of the attack, collected samples and interviewed witnesses. The 15-nation organ then adopted Security Council resolution 2118 (2013) on the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Syria became bound by the Chemical Weapons Convention. Yet, instead of compliance, more than 170 chemical attacks have been reported. More than 1,500 have been killed, and over 15,000 have been injured by the chemical weapons of the Assad regime. However, the response from the international community, including the Council, has been limited and nothing serious has been done towards accountability. “Doing nothing is very hard when you see the rescue and medical teams risking their lives to save one more life, or when you see them enter the contaminated area without a protection gear to bring one more piece of evidence,” he observed.
Because of impunity, the Syrian regime has ended an international norm that was agreed for so long, he pointed out, warning that the same regime that used chemical weapons with impunity is still in power and the same Russian Federation allies are still supporting Syria’s war criminals. Other dictators worldwide might get the wrong message if they see routes towards accountability are blocked. Denial has been the Syrian regime’s strategy, which employs several tactics, such as manipulating evidence, presenting false witnesses, intimidating survivors, witnesses and their families, pressuring investigators — whether individuals or institutions — and investing resources in running media disinformation campaigns. These tactics are being used in other countries today, as research has found that the same social media accounts were used in denying war crimes in Syria and Ukraine, as well.
“In Syria, we are lucky — or unlucky — by having all those investigation bodies with all those acronyms. It is even hard to remember all of them, COI, JIM, IIT, FFM, DAT, et cetera,” he continued, adding that the Syrian civil society, families of victims, rescue and medical teams cooperated with all of them. Nonetheless, when the Russian Federation vetoed the renewal of the mandate of the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism, there was a way to keep the investigations ongoing and the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team was established in an unprecedented vote at OPCW. There are ways to bypass a potential veto against referring all perpetrators to the International Criminal Court. There are ways to stop doing nothing. Ten years after the Ghouta massacre and resolution 2118 (2013), what is the message from the Council to the Syrian regime, he asked. “We will keep the fight to explore concrete ways to reinstate the norm of prohibition of chemical weapons by finding ways to hold all perpetrators to account, by finding States who believe that this exceptional use of [chemical weapons] requires exceptional measures to say ‘no’. No to impunity,” he declared.
Statements
LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD (United States), Council President for August, spoke in her national capacity, recalling that, 10 years ago, on 21 August, the Assad regime released sarin on Syrian civilians in a district of Damascus, killing more than 1,400 people. “The world saw toddlers struggling to breathe” and “piles and piles of bodies lined the streets,” she reported. She also recalled the framework, adopted by her country and the Russian Federation, for the complete destruction of the Syrian chemical weapons programme, to be followed shortly by the adoption of resolution 2118 (2013). It is clear now that the Assad regime never planned to comply with such efforts, has repeatedly lied to the international community and investigators and has repeatedly obstructs the work of OPCW. She also expressed regret that two permanent members have indicated they will not speak today on the matter. “The Assad regime is betting this Council will simply move on,” she noted. However, she emphasized, the United States remains fully committed to pursuing justice for the victims and their loves ones.
ISIS MARIE DORIANE JARAUD-DARNAULT (France) said “we are gathered here, once again, because the Syrian regime has used weapons of mass destruction against its own population”. Nearly a decade after the adoption of resolution 2118 (2013), the country refuses to transmit information relating to its stocks which were not completely destroyed. Furthermore, the restrictions imposed by Syria on the deployment of the Declaration Assessment Team are unacceptable. She called on Syria’s Government to stop obstructing the work of the OPCW Technical Secretariat and comply with its international obligations. Yet, despite the obstacles, the Technical Secretariat continues its investigative work with independence and professionalism. The use of chemical weapons by Syria against its population constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity. Impunity is not acceptable for the Syrians, for the region and for the entire international community, she emphasized.
TAMAURA SHU (Japan) urged Syria to engage in good faith with the Technical Secretariat and provide all requested documents to solve all outstanding issues. “We regret that all efforts to hold the next round of consultations between the Declaration Assessment Team and the Syrian National Authority have been unsuccessful,” he said, adding that the use of chemical weapons by Syria remains a threat to international peace and security. “The Security Council cannot remain silent and allow impunity for those responsible for the use of chemical weapons against their own people,” he stressed. Preventing the recurrence of the use of chemical weapons in Syria must continue to be the Council’s priority. He called on all Council members to urge the Syrian Government to fully comply with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and resolution 2118 (2013) and eliminate its entire chemical weapons programme.
KHAULA ALSHAMSI (United Arab Emirates) urged the Council to reassess the effectiveness of convening monthly meetings on chemical weapons in Syria. “We must reach an agreement to hold such meetings once every three months unless significant developments warrant otherwise,” she stressed, underlining the importance of maintaining dialogue between OPCW and Syria. The threat of chemical terrorism is real, she added. This is especially critical as Da’esh continues to carry out terrorist attacks, showing no hesitation in utilizing use any available means to achieve its objectives. The report issued by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team on Da’esh and Al-Qaeda last month confirmed that Da’esh continues to exploit north-east Syria as location for launching attacks, recruiting fighters and releasing its members from prison. “This poses a serious threat — not only to the security and stability of Syria, but to the entire region,” she warned.
ADRIAN DOMINIK HAURI (Switzerland) expressed regret that the efforts of the Technical Secretariat to organize the next round of consultations between the Declaration Assessment Team and the Syrian National Authority have remained unsuccessful since April 2021. Nevertheless, he voiced hope that the resumption of bilateral consultations between the Technical Secretariat and Syria — which took place in Beirut on 22 and 23 June — is a first step towards full cooperation between the Syrian authorities and the Technical Secretariat. He also welcomed the six-month renewal of the Tripartite Agreement among Syria, the OPCW Technical Secretariat and UNOPS, noting that it should facilitate operations on the ground in accordance with OPCW's working modalities. He also voiced his full support for the cooperation between OPCW and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria, which ensures that such crimes are documented and do not go unpunished.
SÉRGIO FRANÇA DANESE (Brazil), noting that he found new little information in the latest OPCW report that merits the Council’s attention, proposed that the frequency of these meetings be adjusted to allow the 15-nation organ to dedicate more intensely to other matters of higher urgency. However, the recent contacts between members of the OPCW Technical Secretariat and the representatives of Syria in Beirut in June was encouraging. Welcoming Syria’s commitment to implement its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, he expressed hope that these initial contacts will permit the resumption of consultations at a higher level in the near future. “Dialogue, closer cooperation between Syria and OPCW, and continued and full compliance by Syria remain our best hope for closing this file,” he said.
THOMAS PATRICK PHIPPS (United Kingdom) recalled that international organizations have confirmed that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons against its people on at least nine occasions. The human impact of these attacks has been horrific. “We collectively owe it to the thousands of victims to pursue justice and to hold those responsible for these crimes to account,” he stressed. Syria continues to fail to meet its obligations under resolution 2118 (2013) and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Syria has failed to declare and destroy all its chemical weapons, which continue to pose a serious threat to regional, as well as international security. “We, therefore, once again, reiterate our calls on the Syrian regime to fulfil its obligations under the Convention and under resolution 2118 (2013) and to engage meaningfully with the OPCW,” he stressed.
MONICA SOLEDAD SÁNCHEZ IZQUIERDO (Ecuador) decried the limited progress on the issue of chemical weapons in Syria due to the failure to respond and facilitate the work of technical teams. The June meeting between the OPCW Technical Secretariat and the Syrian authorities reflects the possibility to develop a new work plan that allows the international community to resolve all outstanding issues related to the Syrian chemical weapons file. She also highlighted the importance of the extension of the Tripartite Agreement until 31 December among UNOPS, Syria and OPCW. On the conclusions presented by the Investigation Mission on the alleged incidents in Kharbit Massasneh, on 7 July and 4 August 2017, she said they demonstrate the impartial work and professional of the Fact-Finding Mission and the technical teams of OPCW. She also categorically condemned the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere and under any circumstances.
MICHEL XAVIER BIANG (Gabon), speaking also for Ghana and Mozambique, expressed their full support for OPCW as the main body responsible for ensuring the full implementation of the chemical-weapons-elimination programme in Syria. The amendment to the agreement signed by the Government of Syria, UNOPS and OPCW to extend its duration until 31 December would facilitate the Technical Secretariat’s mandated activities concerning the complete elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons programme. The international community and the Council must continue to be concerned about the potential re-emergence of chemical weapons and take the needed steps to accelerate action towards a world free of chemical weapons.
The three African members in the Council remain committed to the norms established against chemical weapons use and support all efforts aimed at eliminating their production, stockpiling or use, he emphasized, reiterating their support for resolution 2118 (2013). The completion of the chemical weapons elimination programme in Syria is an important part of humanity’s common goal for international peace and security. It is only through cooperation and consensus between the two sides that will give rise to a just and definitive conclusion of the issue. “The world is watching, and we must do everything within our power to address all issues that inhibit progress in the implementation of resolution 2118 (2013),” he said.
DARREN CAMILLERI (Malta) reiterated his full support for the independent, unbiased and expert work of OPCW and its Technical Secretariat. “The lack of progress is deplorable, and Syria bears complete responsibility for it,” he said. He also expressed his deep concern about the repeated and baseless assertions intended to undermine the credibility of OPCW or cast doubt on its findings. “They must be decisively addressed and rebutted by the members of this Council,” he stressed. Independent investigations have concluded that Syria has used chemical weapons against its own people on nine occasions. “This is unconscionable and deeply troubling,” he said, underlining his country’s commitment to the universalization of the global norm on the prohibition of chemical weapons as mandated by the Chemical Weapons Convention.
ANDRIS STASTOLI (Albania) said the OPCW periodic reports “clearly demonstrate that Syria has no will to cooperate”. The clarification of the 20 outstanding questions regarding the initial and subsequent statements submitted by Syria still remains unanswered. Syria’s systemic failure to comply with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and resolutions 2118 (2013) is deplorable, he asserted, adding that, due to that country’s refusal to cooperate, the Declaration Assessment Team has had to deploy a reduced team to carry out limited activities in the country. He emphasized that this reduced team cannot replace the next round of consultations with Syria. Rejecting the baseless allegations made by Syria regarding the alleged use of chemical weapons against the Syrian Arab Army in July and August 2017, he stressed that an objective and impartial establishment of the facts is essential. He welcomed the work of the Investigation and Identification Team, fully endorsing the finding of its report that the Assad regime is responsible for the 2018 deadly chemical weapons attack on Douma.
ALHAKAM DANDY (Syria), recalling that the Council met to discuss the same matter in July, expressed his surprise that a meeting is held again given that there are no new developments. It only provides some States an opportunity to repeat their accusations against his country and thus wastes the Council’s time and resources. The United States continues to exploit this file to serve its agenda of hostility against Syria. Further, its military forces have been illegally positioned inside his country, have provided chemical substances to terrorists, trained them on the use of chemical weapons, staged attacks and then accused Damascus of those acts. Describing how the Government of Syria has consistently worked with OPCW, he expressed his country’s commitment to continuing such cooperation. Syria has facilitated a visit by the Declaration Assessment Team to Damascus and initiated a meeting with the Technical Secretariat in Beirut to re-establish cooperation. The Tripartite Agreement among Syria, UNOPS and OPCW has been extended to facilitate the work of teams in Syria.
Expressing regret that some States continue to ignore these positive developments, he also rejected the politicized, biased approach taken by OPCW in fulfilling its mandate. Its Fact-Finding Mission’s reports reflect this politicized approach. Some States are attempting to exploit OPCW reports to further their agenda and thus risk undermining the credibility and impartiality of that organization. All States must correct course. Today’s briefing on Ghouta reflects a hostile approach of certain countries and is being used to propagate false information. Denying those allegations regarding Ghouta, he declared that the Syrian army does not possess any chemical weapons and has never used them. Terrorist groups and their sponsors are fabricating the use of chemical weapons and staging attacks, he said.
SATTAR AHMADI (Iran), pointed out that Syria has been providing monthly reports on the details of the activities carried out to dismantle chemical weapons and their production facilities. The Technical Secretariat’s reports acknowledge that all 27 declared chemical-weapons-production facilities in Syria have been successfully eliminated, thus validating Syria's commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Any investigation into chemical weapons incidents must be conducted with utmost impartiality, professionalism, credibility and objectivity, strictly adhering to the Convention's requirements and procedures. The integrity and credibility of OPCW as the most competent international authority rest on its ability to remain neutral and objective, guided solely by scientific and technical considerations.
“This principled approach is essential to effectively deterring the use of chemical weapons and advancing the objectives of the Convention,” he continued. Further, the repetition of statements made during today's meeting underscores the concern that holding regular and monthly sessions on this matter might be inefficient, given the lack of progress and significant developments. Such an approach could potentially waste valuable United Nations resources and the precious time of the Security Council. The report presented by the Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs did not offer any new insights into the current situation. Because of this, some Council members have already put forth the suggestion that discussing this topic once a quarter, instead of monthly, could suffice. He expressed support for this proposal which aims to streamline the Council's efforts and focus on matters that truly demand immediate attention.
Mr. ERKAN (Türkiye) said that the 117th OPCW report once again demonstrates that the Syrian regime has yet to fulfil its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and address all outstanding issues. He commended the OPCW Technical Secretariat’s impartiality and professionalism and applauded its efforts, as well as the efforts of all OPCW investigative bodies in their work. However, he expressed concern regarding gaps and unresolved discrepancies in the regime’s declarations and noted that the Technical Secretariat was still waiting for a response on the unauthorized movement of two cylinders used in the Douma attack.
He went on to say that although the resumption of rounds of consultations between the Declaration Assessment Team and Syria was discussed at the meeting in Beirut in June, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has still not received the decision of the Assad regime to proceed. Strongly condemning the use of chemical weapons anywhere, by anyone and under any circumstances, he called on Syria to fully cooperate with the OPCW Technical Secretariat and the OPCW investigative bodies by responding to all inquiries.