UN Security Council Briefing on Syria's Chemical Weapons Programme

Progress on Syria's Chemical Weapons Declaration

• 💡 A new political reality in Syria presents an opportunity to gain long-overdue clarifications on the country's chemical weapons program.
• 🎯 The OPCW Technical Secretariat has been engaged in deployments to Syria to establish a permanent presence and plan visits to chemical weapons sites.
• 📌 Two deployments have occurred (March 12-21 and April 14-25), with a third currently underway, aiming to conduct site visits and interview personnel.

Outstanding Issues and Cooperation

• ⚠️ Over the past decade, the OPCW has identified 26 outstanding issues related to Syria's declaration, with 19 remaining unresolved, concerning potentially undeclared chemical warfare agents and munitions.
• ✅ The interim Syrian authorities have been commended for their full and transparent cooperation, providing unfettered access, visas, and security escorts.
• 🤝 New information has been gathered during recent visits, including meetings with the caretaker minister of foreign affairs and the director general of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC).

Future Needs and International Support

• 🚀 The OPCW Technical Secretariat requires additional support and resources from CWC States Parties and international actors to achieve its mandate.
• 🔬 This support is crucial for ridding Syria of all chemical weapons, building capacity to prevent proliferation, and enabling effective response and investigation of chemical weapons incidents.
• 🌍 The United Nations stands ready to support this effort and uphold the norm against the use of chemical weapons.