Image source: euronews
July 2, 2014—A Danish cargo ship carrying hundreds of tons of chemical weapons declared by the Syrian regime arrived at Gioia Tauro, a southern Italian port. The operation marked a significant milestone in the international effort to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons program.
The chemical stockpile, including mustard gas and precursors for nerve agents, was transferred from the Danish vessel Ark Futura to the U.S. cargo ship MV Cape Ray. Equipped with specialized technology, the Cape Ray was tasked with neutralizing the most dangerous chemical agents in international waters.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed the shipment contained the last materials declared by the Syrian government. However, OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü noted that the organization could not verify whether Syria retained undeclared chemical weapons.
Final Shipment Completes Declared Stockpile Removal
The OPCW announced that 8% of Syria’s recognized chemical weapons and precursors were loaded onto the Ark Futura at the port of Latakia, located on Syria’s western coast. This completed the removal of materials declared under the terms of a 2013 United Nations-backed agreement, following a chemical attack in the Damascus suburbs that killed hundreds and was attributed to sarin gas use.
Under UN Security Council Resolution 2118, Syria was required to join the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and surrender its chemical weapons for destruction. By October 2013, the OPCW confirmed the destruction of Syria’s declared production facilities and munitions.
Despite this progress, Üzümcü described the ongoing disarmament process as “a major task marked by extraordinary international cooperation.” He emphasized that the OPCW’s work remains incomplete without assurances that all chemical weapons stockpiles, declared and undeclared, have been eliminated.
International Efforts Continue
The OPCW, with 193 member states, oversees compliance with the CWC, which aims to permanently eradicate chemical weapons globally. The convention came into force in 1997, and the OPCW has since played a central role in monitoring disarmament efforts worldwide.
Syria’s compliance under the agreement remains a subject of scrutiny, as allegations of chemical weapon use have persisted in the years following the 2014 operation.
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