Syria’s Chemical Weapons Declaration Cannot Be Considered Accurate, Complete, Disarmament Affairs Chief Tells Security Council
Several Members Question Meetings Frequency Given Lack of New Developments
Syria must fully and urgently cooperate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to close all outstanding issues regarding its chemical weapons declarations, the detection of a Schedule 2 chemical at the Barzah facilities of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre in November 2018, and the unauthorized movement of the two cylinders related to the chemical weapon incident in Douma in April 2018, the United Nations disarmament chief told the Security Council today.
“Efforts by the OPCW Declaration Assessment Team to clarify all the outstanding issues regarding the initial declaration and subsequent declarations of Syria remain as previously outlined,” underscored Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, who last briefed the Council on the matter on 25 October. At this stage, Syria’s declaration cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, she reiterated.
Moreover, the OPCW Technical Secretariat’s efforts to organize the twenty-fifth round of consultations between the Declaration Assessment Team and the Syrian National Authority continue to be unsuccessful. “Full cooperation by the Syrian Arab Republic with the OPCW Technical Secretariat is essential to closing all outstanding issues,” she urged.
While the Technical Secretariat was still awaiting Syria’s response on the latest version of the agenda submitted in December 2021, Syria suggested a preliminary meeting in Beirut in preparation for the meeting between the OPCW Director-General and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Syria, she said, noting the restart of communications between the meeting focal points.
Pointing to the ongoing work of the OPCW fact-finding mission and the Investigation and Identification Team, she said: “It is imperative to identify and hold accountable all those who have used chemical weapons,” voicing hope that the Council members will unite on the issue to bring justice to the victims and prevent the steady erosion of the taboo against the use of chemical weapons.
The ensuing debate highlighted the division in the Council concerning the Syrian chemical weapons file, with several members questioning the 15-nation organ’s monthly meetings given the absence of new developments on the ground. Other delegates, however, stressed the need for ongoing monthly meetings given Syria’s lack of cooperation. Several speakers underscored the importance of dialogue and Syria’s genuine engagement to resolve outstanding issues, while others emphatically called on Damascus to fully cooperate with OPCW.
The representative of the Russian Federation stressed that the frequency of the meetings on the topic is “clearly absurd”, given that there have been no developments on the ground. Moreover, he said the “infamous report” of the fact-finding mission to Douma in April 2018 was “drastically edited”, verging on “falsification”. The body ignores the facts provided by the Syrian authorities and the Russian military, as well as the statements by eyewitnesses who say the incidents were staged, he said.
The representatives of India, China, United Arab Emirates, Brazil and Ghana (also on behalf of Gabon and Kenya), in a similar vein, questioned the Council’s approach to the Syrian chemical weapons track, noting the absence of new developments on the ground. India’s representative encouraged sustained engagement between Syria and the Technical Secretariat and expressed appreciation for the recent communication between the focal points regarding a possible meeting ahead.
China’s representative said the Council could consider combining the issue with another. Dialogue and consultations are the only ways to resolve the Syrian chemical weapons issue, he underscored, encouraging both sides to continue discussing the OPCW Director-General’s meeting with Syria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
The representative of the United Arab Emirates highlighted members’ “shared responsibility” to reconsider the number of meetings that the Council holds on the chemical weapons track. Noting the importance of a constructive and continuous dialogue between OPCW and Syria, she underscored that consultations cannot be replaced by written correspondence.
The representative of the United States, however, emphasized that the monthly meeting remains necessary and fully appropriate as long as the discrepancies on Syria’s chemical weapons statements remain. The Assad regime has used chemical weapons at least 50 times since acceding to the Convention in 2013, he pointed out, calling on Syria to immediately allow the OPCW team back into the country to resume its work of verifying the complete declaration and destruction of its chemical weapons programme.
Similarly, the representatives of the United Kingdom, Mexico, Norway, France, Albania and Ireland spotlighted the lack of progress on the file owing to Syria’s lack of cooperation with OPCW. The representative of the United Kingdom stressed that “the problem is not how many meetings this Council has”, but the behaviour of the Syrian regime in breach of core international law norms and the systematic disinformation from Damascus and Moscow, which aims to obscure such behaviour and to avoid accountability, he said.
Ireland’s representative, echoing other delegations, stressed that the Council must uphold its decisions set out in resolution 2118 (2013) by holding Syria to its obligations under that resolution and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Syria must engage urgently in a serious and meaningful way with the Technical Secretariat to resolve the 20 outstanding issues with its initial declaration. It is Syria’s actions, not its words, that are important to close this file, she stressed.
Mexico’s representative encouraged Member States to continue to support and fund the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, the commission of inquiry and the fact-finding mission, given the absence of consensus in the Council to refer the Syrian case to the International Criminal Court.
Syria’s representative, describing the current approach to the dossier as “a waste of the time and resources”, instead proposed the 15-member organ hold a session on the negative effects of the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States and the European Union against his country’s people. He deplored the “pervasive politicization” of the work of OPCW, stressing that his country has cooperated in full transparency and openness with the body.
Iran’s representative said OPCW must perform its duties in an impartial and objective manner. “While Syria has met the requirements of the Convention and continues to cooperate constructively with the OPCW, handling this file in a political and double-standard manner will only divert discussions away from their technical nature,” he stressed.
Türkiye’s representative pointed out that perhaps lack of progress calls for more, not fewer, meetings. Underscoring the Council’s collective responsibility to ensure accountability for chemical weapons use in Syria, he said ending impunity is also crucial to honour the hundreds of innocent lives lost due to the chemical weapons attacks during the conflict in the country.
The representatives of Brazil and Albania took the floor a second time.
The meeting began at 10:01 a.m. and ended at 11:20 a.m.
Briefing
IZUMI NAKAMITSU, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, briefing on the status of implementing Security Council resolution 2118 (2013) on the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons programme, said the Office for Disarmament Affairs has been in regular contact with its counterparts at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on its activities related to the matter. “Efforts by the OPCW Declaration Assessment Team to clarify all the outstanding issues regarding the initial declaration and subsequent declarations of Syria remain as previously outlined,” she pointed out. She added that all efforts by the OPCW Technical Secretariat to organize the twenty-fifth round of consultations between the Declaration Assessment Team and the Syrian National Authority continue to be unsuccessful. As Council members were previously informed, the Technical Secretariat has provided Syria with the list of pending declarations and other documents requested by the Declaration Assessment Team since 2019, with the aim of assisting Damascus in resolving the 20 outstanding issues, she said, adding that the Technical Secretariat has not yet received the requested information from Syria. “Full cooperation by the Syrian Arab Republic with the OPCW Technical Secretariat is essential to closing all outstanding issues,” she urged.
As has been stressed on a monthly basis for many years to date, due to the identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies that remain unresolved, the Technical Secretariat continues to assess that, at this stage, the declaration submitted by Syria cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, she continued. The Technical Secretariat remains fully committed to ensuring Syria’s complete implementation of all its declaration requirements and to assisting it in fulfilling its obligations under the Convention, OPCW policymaking organs’ decisions, and Security Council resolution 2118 (2013), she said, reiterating her support for the integrity, professionalism, impartiality, objectivity and independence of the OPCW’s work. She voiced regret that that Syria has not yet provided sufficient technical information or explanations that would enable the OPCW Technical Secretariat to close the issue related to the detection of a Schedule 2 chemical at the Barzah facilities of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre in November 2018. The Technical Secretariat has also not received the requested information from Syria regarding the unauthorized movement of the two cylinders related to the chemical weapon incident that took place in Douma on 7 April 2018, that were destroyed in an attack on a chemical weapons production facility. Syria must respond urgently to all the OPCW Technical Secretariat’s requests, she stressed.
Turning to the invitation by the OPCW Director-General to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Syria to an in-person meeting to identify ways to ensure that Damascus complies in the shortest time possible with all of its obligations under the Convention, she said that while the Technical Secretariat was still awaiting a response from Syria on the latest version of the agenda submitted in December 2021, Syria suggested a preliminary meeting in Beirut. Since then, communication between the focal points in charge of the preparations for the meeting between the OPCW Director-General and the Syrian Minister has been reinitiated by the OPCW Secretariat and Damascus has responded. She pointed out that, consistent with previous updates to the Council, the OPCW fact-finding mission remains in the process of studying all available information related to allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Moreover, the fact-finding mission continues to engage with Syria and other States parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention with regard to a number of incidents and preparing for upcoming deployments.
The Investigation and Identification Team continues its investigations into incidents in which the fact-finding mission has determined that chemical weapons were used or likely used in Syria, and will issue further reports in due course. On the decision titled “Addressing the Possession and Use of Chemical Weapons by the Syrian Arab Republic” (C-25/DEC.9) adopted on 21 April 2021, Damascus has not yet completed any of the measures stipulated in paragraph 5 of decision EC-94/DEC.2, she said, calling on it to cooperate fully with the Technical Secretariat in that regard. Reiterating Secretary-General António Guterres’ message, she stressed that the use of chemical weapons is intolerable and that impunity for their use is equally unacceptable. “It is imperative to identify and hold accountable all those who have used chemical weapons. Failure to do so not only means a failure to bring justice to the victims of these inhumane weapons but also continues the steady erosion of the taboo against the use of chemical weapons and sets a dangerous precedent,” she underscored, voicing hope that Council members will unite on the issue.
Statements
DMITRY A. POLYANSKIY (Russian Federation) recalled that the previous meeting on the implementation of Council resolution 2118 (2013) took place on 25 October, less than two weeks ago, and stressed that the frequency with which meetings are held on the topic is “clearly absurd”, given that there have been no developments on the ground. Pointing out that this month’s report differs from the previous month’s report by two sentences, he stated that the meetings were being held for the benefit of some Western capitals who wish to check the item off their list, and undermine the Council’s authority, and prevent it from discussing more urgent and dynamic issues. Noting that OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias declined the invitation to brief the Council, he recalled that he had not responded to the many issues that were put to him “the two times he braved the Council”. These concerns were not addressed by the Technical Secretariat or the Office for Disarmament Affairs. He went on to state that the “infamous report” of the fact-finding mission to Douma in April 2018 was “drastically edited”, verging on “falsification”, and questioned why the initial declarations expected of Syria differed from those expected of Libya, which did not then face “an onslaught of criticism”. The methodology employed was based on biased sources and collected remotely, which then led to the Technical-Secretariat to pass off fiction as incontrovertible evidence, he stressed, adding that the body “clutches on the weakest materials from the infamous White Helmets”, while ignoring the facts provided by the Syrian authorities and the Russian military, as well as the statements by eyewitnesses who say the incidents were staged.
RICHARD M. MILLS, JR. (United States) stressed that this monthly meeting remains necessary and fully appropriate as long as the discrepancies on Syria’s chemical weapons statements remain. Welcoming that the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) adopted a resolution on the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, receiving 156 “yes” votes and six “no” votes, he pointed out that the latter “chose to turn a blind eye to recent uses of chemical weapons”. Sharing his assessment that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons at least 50 times since acceding to the Convention in 2013, he reported that in October his Government imposed visa restrictions on three Syrian military officers for their involvement in the August 2013 chemical weapons attack in Ghouta. He called on Syria to immediately allow the OPCW team back into the country to resume its work of verifying the complete declaration and destruction of its chemical weapons programme.
RUCHIRA KAMBOJ (India) said discussion on the matter going forward should reflect progress on the ground, noting the standstill that has prevailed for several months. She encouraged sustained engagement between Syria and the OPCW Technical Secretariat to resolve all outstanding issues, expressing appreciation for the recent communication between the focal points of both parties regarding a possible meeting ahead. Her country is against the use of chemical weapons by anybody, anywhere, at any time and under any circumstances, she underscored, emphasizing that any investigation into the use of chemical weapons must be impartial, credible and objective. She cautioned against the possibility of terrorist entities and individuals gaining access to chemical weapons, including in the region, stressing that any allegation of use of chemical weapons needs to be dealt with utmost attention. Progress on other tracks will also help in facilitating the overall political peace process in Syria, as advocated in Council resolution 2254 (2015), she said.
SUN ZHIQIANG (China) noting that his country firmly opposes the use of chemical weapons by any country, organization or individual under any circumstances, expressed regret that Mr. Arias declined the invitation to brief the Council. Given that there is no new report from OPCW or new developments on the ground, the Council could consider combining the issue with another. China’s position on the issue is unchanged: It believes that dialogue and consultations are the only ways to resolve the Syrian chemical weapons issue. He welcomed the consultation by correspondence between the Syrian authorities and the Technical Secretariat and added that obstacles should be removed to the twenty-fifth round of consultations between the Syrian authorities and the Declaration Assessment Team. Further, he encouraged both sides to continue discussing the OPCW Director-General’s meeting with Syria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates. He expressed hope that the Director General and Technical Secretariat will take steps to maintain the technical attributes of the OPCW.
FERGUS JOHN ECKERSLEY (United Kingdom), noting the “understandable frustration” in the Council about the lack of progress in this dossier, stressed that “the problem is not how many meetings this Council has. The problem is the behaviour of the Syrian regime in breach of core international law norms including resolutions of this Council.” The problem is systematic disinformation from Syria and the Russian Federation, he added, which aims to obscure such behaviour and to avoid accountability, including attempts to attack OPCW. He underscored that the international community must assume that the Syrian regime continues to hold chemical weapons and is willing to use them, until it gives proper assurances.
FATEMA YOUSUF IBRAHIM MOHAMMAD (United Arab Emirates), noting the absence of new developments that warrant scheduling the meeting, said it is unfortunate that meetings on the matter are still scheduled on the Security Council agenda every month, without any consideration for their usefulness. The Council’s time and resources must be used wisely, she said, highlighting members’ “shared responsibility” to reconsider the number of meetings that it holds on the chemical weapons track. The development, transfer, and use of chemical weapons by anyone, under any circumstances, is strictly prohibited under international law — whether in Syria or elsewhere. Those weapons must not fall into the hands of terrorist groups, who will not hesitate to use them for their own nefarious purposes. She stressed the importance of a constructive and continuous dialogue between OPCW and Syria to address all unresolved issues. Consultations cannot be replaced by written correspondence, as this will not lead to the achievement of the desired outcomes, she emphasized.
CHRISTIAN TONATIUH GONZÁLEZ JIMÉNEZ (Mexico) reiterated his view, expressed a scant two weeks ago, that the lack of progress on addressing the use of chemical weapons in Syria is “deplorable”, adding that the unresolved discrepancies regarding the initial declaration by that country make it not possible to establish that Damascus has fulfilled its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. He therefore reiterated his call for the Syrian authorities to cooperate fully and in good faith in line with resolution 2118 (2013) with both OPCW and its fact-finding teams. Turning to the imminent expiration on 31 December of the tripartite agreement between the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), OPCW and Syria, he urged that its extension be renewed. Mexico takes note of developments regarding the preliminary meeting to be held in Beirut, as well as progress in confirming the date and agenda of the meeting between Mr. Arias and Syria Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad, recalling that the Secretariat sent an invitation to hold that meeting in June 2021. Despite initial progress in eliminating Syria’s declared chemical weapons stockpile in 2016, it is alarming that evidence gathered by the commission of inquiry shows that, out of a total of 38 confirmed attacks, 25 occurred after 2016, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. He emphasized the need for accountability and encouraged Member States to continue to support and fund the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, the commission of inquiry and the fact-finding mission, given the absence of consensus in this Council to refer the Syrian case to the International Criminal Court.
MEENA ASIYA SYED (Norway), expressing regret that the Council met again with no new positive developments, stressed that the international prohibition against the use of chemical weapons must remain a top priority. Calling on Syria to fulfil its obligations in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention and Council resolution 2118 (2013), she underscored that the Government must fully cooperate with OPCW and resolve the 20 outstanding issues. Urging the regime to provide sufficient technical information or explanations to reconcile the identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies, she further highlighted the importance of completing the necessary measures to lift the suspension of its rights and privileges as a State party to the Convention.
NICOLAS DE RIVIÈRE (France) said that in August 2013, the Syrian regime murdered over 1,000 civilians in the suburbs of Damascus with arms prohibited by international law. No one contested the reality of that attack, he emphasized, recalling that after that massacre the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2118 (2013). “Month after month, we can only deplore the lack of progress,” he stressed, noting that after the regime’s six rejections, the Technical Secretariat had to give up on deploying the Declaration Assessment Team. Syria must shed light on its entire stockpile and commit to its international obligations if it is to restore its rights and privileges, he stressed, urging Damascus to respond in writing to the Technical Secretariat’s questions on its initial declaration. He commended the OPCW Secretariat for continuing its investigative work with tenacity, independence and professionalism despite the obstacles. The campaigns to discredit them are unacceptable, he stressed.
Mr. LEITE NOVAES (Brazil), noting that there have been few recent developments on the file and on the ground, echoed the views of the Russian Federation, India, China and the United Arab Emirates, in stressing that the frequency of these meetings must change to spare the Council’s time and resources. He reiterated his traditional position on the matter that chemical weapons are incompatible with international humanitarian law and have no place in today’s world; the use of such weapons violates international agreements and is a serious threat to international peace and security; and incidents must be addressed with transparency and be subject to thorough and impartial investigations, according to the Chemical Weapons Convention.
ANDRIS STASTOLI (Albania) noted that if Syria and its allies are asking for fewer meetings on the country’s weapons programme, they could start by answering the remaining 20 questions put forward by the report of the Declaration Assessment Team. He described their refusal to do so as “a mockery of the international community and international law”. Pointing out that the Assad regime has repeatedly used chemical weapons against its own people, as confirmed by OPCW's Investigation Bureau and Identification Team, he stressed that impunity for those committing such crimes is not an option. Expressing regret that some States in the Council try to minimize the use of chemical weapons or to claim that they were never used, he underscored that they are only undermining international law and the credibility of international institutions. “We will never tire of calling for accountability and justice for the victims,” he concluded.
CÁIT MORAN (Ireland), noting a pattern of non-cooperation by Syria, said that country, together with the Russian Federation, actively seeks to undermine OPCW’s authority and independence to mask its culpability. The Council must uphold its decisions set out in resolution 2118 (2013) by holding Syria to its obligations under that resolution and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Syria must engage urgently in a serious and meaningful way with the Technical Secretariat to resolve the 20 outstanding issues with its initial declaration. Moreover, the Council must uphold the international norm against chemical weapons, including through clear and unequivocal backing for OPCW in its mandated task. “It is Syria’s actions, not its words, that are important to close this file. It is only through Syria’s genuine engagement that the OPCW will be able to provide the necessary assurance that Syria’s chemical weapons programme is verifiably and definitively a thing of the past,” she stressed.
HAROLD ADLAI AGYEMAN (Ghana), Council President for the month, speaking in his national capacity and also on behalf of Kenya and Gabon, expressed concern about the lack of tangible progress by stakeholders in fully addressing the issue in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention. He echoed other Council members in calling for a review of the status quo, when little to no headway is made in dealing with the issue, to enable the 15-member organ to focus attention and resources on the other challenges facing the Syrian people. Reiterating support for resolution 2118 (2013), he noted with regret the divergent positions of OPCW and Damascus regarding the outstanding gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies related to the destruction the country’s chemical weapons and stressed that the failure by the international community to fully and verifiably destroy all Syria’s chemical weapons will set a bad precedent on the production and use of chemical weapons. He went on to welcome the re-initiation of communication between the focal points of the Syrian Arab Republic and OPCW and called on both sides to expedite action on the modalities for convening the high-level in-person meeting between the Syrian Foreign Minister and OPCW Technical Director, to enable outstanding issues to be resolved.
Mr. LEITE NOVAES (Brazil), taking the floor a second time, addressing Albania’s delegate, said he must refrain from assuming who is or is not an ally of Syria. His statement had nothing to do with alliances but pertained to the efficiency of the Council.
Mr. STASTOLI (Albania), taking the floor a second time, said his statement, which was distributed online, pertained to the total lack of progress on implementing resolutions on chemical weapons being used as an excuse for holding fewer meetings at the Council.
BASSAM SABBAGH (Syria), describing the current approach to this dossier as “a waste of the time and resources”, questioned why a few countries insist on ignoring the calls of the majority of Council members to rationalize. He instead proposed the 15-member organ to hold a session on the negative effects of the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States and the European Union against Syria’s people, adding that the false accusations made by these countries have no legal or professional basis. Deploring the “pervasive politicization” of the work of OPCW, he reiterated his Government’s position on the illegality of establishing the “so-called Investigation and Identification Team” as well as its total refusal to recognize this team and its “wrong and unprofessional methods of work”, which will naturally lead to invalid conclusions.
In stressing that his country has cooperated in full transparency and openness with OPCW, he pointed out that it has submitted its monthly reports on time to the Technical Secretariat on activities related to the destruction of chemical weapons and their production facilities. It also has agreed to extend the tripartite agreement with UNOPS and OPCW to ensure the facilitation of their work in Syria. Sharing that his Government has facilitated the holding of nine rounds of inspection of the Center for Scientific Studies and Research, he pointed out that the latest report confirmed that there was no activity in violation of the Convention. Its authorities have granted more than 500 entry visas to Technical Secretariat employees over the past nine years, he added. Meanwhile, he urged the Technical Secretariat not to disrupt the work of the Declaration Assessment Team and “not to hold it hostage to grant an entry visa to one expert, whose behaviour we have reservations about”.
Further noting that the head of the Syrian National Authority had previously held two rounds of high-level consultations with the OPCW Director-General, he expressed hope that another round will be held as soon as possible. Highlighting some issues which the “Organization still insists on considering them as unresolved,” he stated that it is reprehensible that some insist on hastening accusations against his country. In this regard he asserted that the United States, United Kingdom and France have been obstructing the deployment of the fact-finding mission team to “wage a joint aggression against Syria”.
ÖNCÜ KEÇELI (Türkiye) commended the impartiality, independence and professionalism of the OPCW Technical Secretariat, noting the importance of the monthly meetings on the file to his country which neighbours Syria. Each month, the Council dedicates days to open debates on topics where even its mandate is questionable, he pointed out, stressing that the organ can spare around 80 minutes each month to discuss a topic that is directly related to the maintenance of international peace and security. Addressing comments that there is no progress on the file, he pointed out that perhaps lack of progress calls for more, not fewer, meetings. He called on the Syrian regime to fully cooperate with the Technical Secretariat and provide the necessary information in line with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Underscoring the Council’s collective responsibility to ensure accountability for chemical weapons use in Syria, he said ending impunity is also crucial to honour the hundreds of innocent lives lost due to the chemical weapons attacks during the conflict in Syria.
AMIR SAEID JALIL IRAVANI (Iran), condemning the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere and under any circumstances, underscored that any investigation into the use of such weapons must be impartial, professional, credible and objective, and must fully comply with the Chemical Weapons Convention’s requirements and procedures. OPCW must perform its duties in an impartial and objective manner, he said, reiterating his call for the Convention to be implemented fully, effectively and without discrimination, and warning that the politicization of the Convention’s application endangers its credibility. Commending Syria for providing monthly reports to the OPCW Director-General on activities related to the destruction of chemical weapons and their production facilities, he expressed hope that the meeting between Syria’s Foreign Minister and the OPCW Director-General will take place and help resolve outstanding issues. Given the lack of recent developments on the file, he said that there was no point to today’s meeting “other than the repetition of claims against the Syrian Arab Republic”, adding: “While Syria has met the requirements of the Convention and continues to cooperate constructively with the OPCW, handling this file in a political and double-standard manner will only divert discussions away from their technical nature.”