Image source: OPCW
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) discussed the current situation in Syria following the overthrow of the former regime of Bashar al-Assad. The organisation urged the new government to fulfill Syria’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
In an extraordinary meeting held on December 12, 2024, OPCW Director-General Ambassador Fernando Arias and Executive Council Chairperson Ambassador Andrés Terán Parral reviewed the current state of affairs in Syria and several issues related to its chemical weapons program.
Director-General Arias stated that the OPCW Secretariat is closely monitoring the situation in Syria, paying particular attention to sites linked to chemical weapons. He stressed that the ultimate goal is the complete elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons program and participation in the international accountability process for the former Syrian government and any other identified perpetrators.
Arias noted that the next step is for the OPCW to send a team of experts from the Secretariat to Syria as soon as the security situation permits. This mission would enable the organisation to collect all relevant information about the current state of chemical weapons-related sites and assess the necessary actions to move forward.
The Director-General reminded the council that Syria has yet to declare its full chemical weapons program and that chemical weapons have been used in Syria on multiple occasions, despite its accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention in September 2013.
He called on Syria to fully comply with the Chemical Weapons Convention, fulfill all its obligations, and abandon what remains of its chemical weapons program.
As a State Party to the Convention, Syria is obligated not to possess or use chemical weapons, to provide complete declarations regarding its chemical weapons program, and to cooperate with the OPCW. These legal obligations remain binding under international law, regardless of any change in government.
The OPCW reaffirmed its commitment to working with relevant Syrian authorities and international partners to assist Syria in completing the eradication of its chemical weapons program.
The OPCW’s Technical Secretariat emphasized that full compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention would protect the Syrian people and contribute to achieving justice for victims by ensuring accountability for those identified as responsible for chemical weapon attacks. Such compliance would also enhance regional stability and support the global mission of eliminating chemical weapons.
The Secretariat described this progress as a crucial step toward lasting peace and a safer world free of chemical weapons.
Over the years, the OPCW’s Declaration Assessment Team has worked to address gaps, inconsistencies, and discrepancies in Syria’s initial declaration to the OPCW in 2013. Despite these efforts, significant concerns remain about the accuracy and completeness of Syria’s declaration and the fate of large quantities of undeclared chemical weapons. These unresolved issues continue to obstruct the verification of Syria’s complete dismantling of its chemical weapons program.
Since 2013, the OPCW Technical Secretariat and other independent international investigative bodies have documented and investigated the use of toxic chemicals as weapons in Syria. The OPCW’s findings play a critical role in supporting accountability for violations of international law and atrocities involving the use of toxic chemicals as weapons.
assad_regime chemical_attack chemical_weapons opcw syria
