On February 8, 2025, a delegation from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) presented its nine-point Technical Secretariat action plan to the Syrian presidency. This visit marks the first of its kind since the fall of the previous regime.
The OPCW’s Syria-specific action plan, introduced by OPCW Director-General Ambassador Fernando Arias to the president and foreign minister, is based on the extensive expertise gained by the Technical Secretariat throughout its years of work in Syria.
Key points in the action plan include compiling an inventory of sites, equipment, munitions, chemical materials, documents, personnel, and facilities; declaring all elements of Syria’s chemical weapons program; ensuring verifiable destruction; and establishing long-term compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) through enhanced cooperation.
To ensure Syria’s adherence to its CWC commitments, the OPCW confirmed the presence of three different missions operating in Syria: the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT), the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), and the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT).
An OPCW delegation visited Damascus at the invitation of the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the next steps for dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons program.
Ambassador Fernando Arias, accompanied by a high-level OPCW delegation, arrived in Damascus to meet with interim Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and caretaker Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani.
The two sides discussed Syria’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, the role and mandate of the OPCW, and the type of support the Technical Secretariat could provide to the interim Syrian authorities in eliminating the remnants of the country’s chemical weapons program.
During what were described as “lengthy, productive, and highly open” meetings, the parties engaged in an in-depth exchange of information, laying the foundation for concrete progress in dismantling Syria’s chemical stockpile and breaking a deadlock that had lasted for over 11 years.
Director-General Arias emphasized that his visit to Damascus marks “a fresh start,” providing the current Syrian authorities with an opportunity to overcome the obstacles imposed by the previous regime and fulfill Syria’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Arias described Syria’s chemical weapons file as having been at a standstill for over a decade and urged the current administration to seize this opportunity to rid the country of its chemical stockpile, benefiting both the Syrian people and the international community.
He further stressed that his visit to Damascus reflects the OPCW’s commitment to rebuilding a relationship with the new Syrian leadership based on mutual trust and transparency.
The visit represents a “first step” toward re-establishing a direct working relationship between the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat and Syria after 11 years of stagnation and lack of progress with the previous authorities.
Due to the previous Syrian regime’s failure to fully declare its chemical stockpile since 2013, Syria’s chemical weapons declaration remained “incomplete,” with large undisclosed quantities and previously unknown locations being discovered. As a result, Syria’s rights within OPCW policymaking bodies were suspended in April 2021.
Commenting on this, Arias stated that the OPCW looks forward to working with the Syrian transitional government to address these unresolved issues and fulfill Syria’s responsibilities, ultimately restoring its full rights within the organization.
Since 2013, the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat and other independent investigative bodies have documented and investigated the use of toxic chemicals as weapons in Syria. The OPCW’s findings play a crucial role in supporting accountability for violations of international law and atrocities involving chemical weapons use.
Between 2020 and 2023, extensive work by OPCW teams revealed gaps and inconsistencies in Syria’s chemical weapons declaration, identifying 26 new issues. Of these, only seven have been resolved, leaving 19 matters still unaddressed.
Syria became a State Party to the Chemical Weapons Convention and a member of the OPCW in October 2013, following the sarin gas attack on civilians in rural Damascus in August 2013.
