The United States, in its annual report, described Syria as “non-compliant” with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), asserting that the Syrian regime violated Article I of the agreement.
On April 4, 2024, the U.S. published its annual report detailing member states’ compliance with the CWC for the period between January 1 and December 31, 2023.
According to the report, the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons more than 50 times against its own people since joining the convention in 2013, constituting “violations” of its obligations under Article I of the agreement.
The United States estimates that the regime frequently used chlorine and sarin as chemical weapons between 2014 and 2019, despite the regime’s repeated denials in the face of overwhelming evidence.
The report further claims that Syria has not declared all elements of its chemical weapons program, as required under Article III of the CWC, and that the regime likely retains undeclared chemical weapons in violation of the convention.
It also highlights Syria’s “failure” to cooperate with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in verifying the accuracy and completeness of its declared destruction of chemical weapons, noting that the regime continues actions that obstruct resolution of these issues.
The report pointed out significant gaps, inconsistencies, and omissions in Syria’s declaration of its chemical weapons destruction, which constitutes a breach of Article III of the CWC and the additional declaration requirements outlined in paragraph 6 of UN Security Council Resolution 2118.
The United States utilizes this data in its engagements with the European Commission and the Conference of the States Parties to the OPCW, emphasizing the importance of Syria acknowledging its past use of chemical weapons, cooperating with the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT), and the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT). The U.S. insists on a proactive, transparent approach to resolving the identified gaps and inconsistencies.
The report also highlighted that the OPCW’s budget for 2024–2025, approved during the 28th Session of the Conference of the States Parties, includes funding for investigations into the use of chemical weapons in Syria. The budget was overwhelmingly supported, indicating continued widespread backing for the OPCW’s mandate.
The United States reiterated its commitment to holding the Syrian regime accountable for its use of chemical weapons and pledged to take necessary measures to compel Syria to return to compliance with the CWC in 2024.
Regime’s Obstruction of OPCW Teams
The report noted the Syrian regime’s persistent efforts to obstruct OPCW teams since their arrival in Syria in 2013. In 2023, the regime failed to cooperate with the DAT by denying visas to technical experts and limiting activities within Syria during missions in January and April.
In October, the OPCW Director-General announced that Syria had agreed to hold the 25th round of consultations after a delay of two-and-a-half years.
Additionally, the Director-General, in a report published on November 24, 2023, indicated that analysis of samples collected by the DAT in Syria in April revealed the presence of undeclared chemical warfare agents. The OPCW Secretariat requested Syria to provide reasonable and verifiable explanations.
It is worth noting that the Chemical Violations Documentation Center in Syria has recorded 241 cases of the use of chemical weapons in Syria since the regime signed the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013 until now.
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