International Support Key to Fully Eliminate Syria’s Chemical Weapons, Disarmament Chief Tells Security Council, Welcoming Interim Authorities’ Commitment
Welcoming the Syrian interim authorities’ continued engagement to address chemical-weapons issues long left unresolved by that country’s previous Administration, the United Nations’ disarmament chief told the Security Council today that international support is needed to fully realize the elimination of Syria’s chemical-weapons programme.
“We have continued to observe a new political reality emerge in Syria,” said Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. There exists an “important opportunity”, she emphasized, to obtain “long-overdue” clarifications on the full extent of the Syrian chemical-weapons programme, rid the country of all such weapons, normalize relations between Syria and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and ensure long-term compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention. She recalled that, over the last 11 years, OPCW has reported a total of 26 outstanding issues in this regard, of which 19 remain unresolved.
Welcoming the interim authorities’ continued engagement with OPCW to address such issues, she reported that OPCW technical experts travelled to Syria from 12 to 21 March “to start work on establishing OPCW’s permanent physical presence in Syria and start jointly planning deployments to chemical-weapons sites”. Further, a second deployment was completed from 14 to 25 April, and OPCW is currently preparing a third. These visits aim to establish an OPCW mission in Syria, conduct site visits and interview personnel with knowledge of the Syrian chemical-weapons programme.
She went on to note that the interim authorities “extended all necessary support for the OPCW team’s activities” during both completed deployments. “This included unfettered access, inter alia, to sites and people, issuance of visas and security escorts for field activities,” she said. There were also discussions on requirements for the safe conduct of future OPCW activities in Syria, as well as the planning of necessary steps to facilitate the same. The OPCW technical secretariat, she stressed, remains committed to delivering on its mandate to verify Syria’s full implementation of all Convention requirements, OPCW decisions and Council resolutions.
“The commitment of the new authorities in Syria to fully and transparently cooperate with the OPCW technical secretariat is commendable,” she said, adding: “However, the work ahead will not be easy, and it will require support from the international community.” OPCW requires additional support to accomplish the tasks needed to rid Syria of all chemical weapons and carry out other mandated activities, including capacity-building to enable national authorities to respond to and investigate chemical-weapons issues and incidents effectively. She concluded: “I, once again, urge the members of this Council to unite and show leadership in providing the support that this unprecedented effort will require.”
Russian Federation’s Speaker Raises Serious Doubts over ‘Sad Track Record’ of OPCW Technical Secretariat
As the floor opened for discussion, the representative of the Russian Federation voiced ongoing “serious doubts” regarding the “sad track record” of the OPCW technical secretariat. Pointing to violations, manipulation and a trend of extreme politicization, he stressed that this undermines faith in its ability to “honestly, and in good faith, carry out its purely technical functions”. He further cited the “direct forgery” carried out in preparing the report on the incident that occurred in the city of Douma. “There can be no talk of trust in the work of OPCW entities at all,” he stressed.
Other Council Members Praise OPCW’s Work
Other Council members felt differently. Taking note of sustained efforts by OPCW’s technical secretariat, the representative of Panama said that such work “continues with professionalism, technical independence and commitment to the facts”. He also joined many others in welcoming the new reality of engagement: “We feel that this new political context represents a genuine opportunity to correct more than four decades of Syria’s inconsistencies and omissions.” He also urged the provision of financial, technical and human resources to enable OPCW to establish a sustainable presence in Syria.
Similarly, the representative of the United States, spotlighting this moment of “great opportunity”, welcomed the Syrian Government’s commitment to support OPCW’s technical secretariat. Emphasizing the need to “turn the page on the Assad regime’s chemical-weapons programme” and move towards regional security, he noted the difficult task of establishing the full extent of that programme. In that context, he welcomed OPCW’s professional and transparent work. “But much more action is needed,” he stressed, echoing calls for financial contributions to meet this challenge.
Greece’s representative, too, commended OPCW for carrying out its mandate impartially and professionally, welcoming that its April deployment had gathered previously undisclosed information. Stressing that Syrian authorities have yet to declare all chemical weapons in their possession — as well as production facilities for such weapons — he called on the same to engage with OPCW, in good faith, to confirm that Syria has abandoned the use of chemical weapons and destroyed its stockpiles of the same.
Slovenia’s representative concurred, underlining the “urgent need to accurately map, secure and destroy any undeclared sites related to development, production or stockpiling of chemical weapons”. She also expressed “unwavering” support for OPCW’s work, stating: “Only a multilateral approach — with the [Convention] and OPCW at its centre — can lead toward a future free from the threat of chemical weapons.” Further, she joined others in calling for accountability for the past use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Calls to Hold to Account Perpetrators of Chemical Crimes in Syria
Denmark’s delegate, condemning the brutality of the Assad regime — “most ruthlessly represented through the multiple chemical attacks against civilians” — stressed that victims and their relatives deserve justice. Therefore, evidence of those crimes must be secured so that accountability can be ensured. The representative of the Republic of Korea urged the Council and OPCW to “spare no effort in holding perpetrators accountable”, while also highlighting the “new global hope that the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria is now finally within reach”. For its part, he said that his country will contribute €100,000 to OPCW’s work in Syria.
“No one can question their impartiality,” said France’s representative, also underscoring the professionalism demonstrated by OPCW. Recalling that his country launched the “International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons” in 2018, he stated that France will continue to support OPCW’s “professional, impartial work”. He added that eliminating the chemical-weapons programme “inherited from the deposed regime” reinforces the “absolute prohibition against the use of chemical weapons worldwide”.
International Community Must Remain Highly Vigilant amid Syria’s Fragile Security Landscape
Recalling his country’s consistent support of that prohibition, the representative of China also highlighted another facet of this issue — namely, the “fragile security landscape” in Syria. Noting terrorist attacks, he stressed that the international community must remain “highly vigilant about a possible scenario where terrorist forces in Syria may manufacture, acquire or use chemical weapons”. Urging Syria to implement its Convention obligations — as well as those relating to counter-terrorism — he expressed hope that all parties will work together to secure an “early and once-and-for-all” solution to the issue of chemical weapons in Syria.
Nevertheless, the representative of the United Kingdom pointed out that, due to the secrecy and complexity of former President Bashar al-Assad’s illegal chemical-weapons programme, “the precise extent of the challenge ahead is unknown”. For its part, the United Kingdom has already provided more than $1 million to OPCW, and she urged others to contribute necessary resources. Further, she noted that military action by neighbouring States risks delaying OPCW deployments, calling on Israel to de-escalate in Syria.
Israel’s Military Attacks on Syria Must Stop
“These reprehensible attacks and violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must stop,” underscored Pakistan’s representative, also expressing concern over Israeli military occupation of parts of Syrian territory and continuing strikes against Syrian sites and facilities. Algeria’s representative — also speaking for Guyana, Sierra Leone and Somalia — expressed similar concern over escalating Israeli strikes and occupation of 460 square kilometres of Syrian territory since December 2024. All aggression against Syrian territory must immediately halt, he stressed.
The representative of Türkiye also spotlighted continuing Israeli attacks targeting infrastructure — including possible sites related to chemical weapons. “These attacks must cease, as accountability and justice for the victims of chemical weapons require the preservation of all evidence,” she stressed. Further calling for the necessary financial, technical and logistical resources to support the deployment of OPCW missions, she said that Türkiye is ready to contribute to capacity-building initiatives and will organize technical training programmes for Syrian experts.
Syria’s Speaker Pledges Full Commitment to Chemical Weapons Convention, OPCW’s Work Despite Major Security, Operational Challenges
Syria’s representative, for his part, pointed to the “new Syria’s full commitment” to the Convention and its efforts to facilitate OPCW’s work despite “major” security and operational challenges — including repeated attacks by Israel. Nevertheless, he said that Syria is determined to “overcome the previous phase and its negative characteristics”. Detailing cooperation with OPCW, he also recalled a 5 March statement by his country’s Foreign Minister that Syria is “committed to destroy any potential remnants of the chemical-weapons programme developed under the previous regime and to ensure justice for victims”.
“We seek, anxiously, to use the current stage to build a positive cooperative relationship with [OPCW] with the aim of resolving relevant outstanding issues in our initial declaration,” he went on to say. Yet, addressing these challenges will require the international community to provide necessary support to the joint efforts of Damascus and OPCW. Spotlighting the new authorities’ “deep conviction that chemical weapons have no place in today’s world”, he said: “We are deeply relieved that the time for disagreement and mistrust has passed, and has been replaced by transparent cooperation within the framework of a genuine partnership.”