A team dispatched by the United Nations-backed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to Syria in May has discovered undeclared chemical munitions, related materials, and extensive documentation. These findings address a gap where the OPCW has been unable to verify the accuracy or completeness of the declaration submitted by the former Bashar al-Assad government since 2014.
During a briefing to the Security Council on Thursday, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu stated that the new government cooperated closely with inspectors and provided access to documentation that facilitated this discovery. “These findings are a historic discovery, not only for Syria but for international security and the global disarmament regime,” Nakamitsu said. She emphasized the necessity for the newly found weapons to be officially declared and destroyed under OPCW verification, also highlighting the need for continued investigations in additional areas.
A Turning Point and a Complex Process
Syria’s UN Representative described the discovery as “a definitive turning point” and “a major step towards accountability.” The representative noted that the government had facilitated 32 visits by OPCW inspectors and handed over more than 60,000 pages of documents. “Syria has suffered from chemical weapons for over 12 years. Today, it is determined to rid itself of the legacy,” the representative added.
The delegate from the United Kingdom, a Council member, stated that the new findings “present further evidence of Assad’s active attempts to deceive the international community.” The U.S. remarked that Syria and the OPCW have demonstrated “cooperation, flexibility, and a shared commitment” to closing this chapter. France commented that the discovery is “only beginning to reveal the scope of the program that was hidden from the international community,” while Denmark noted that “the task ahead continues to be complex.”
Russia’s Skeptical Approach
Not all Council members welcomed these developments. Russia’s delegate questioned the speed of accusations for the newly found items, calling for the findings to be examined in a “depoliticized manner” and arguing that the OPCW had “compromised itself long ago.” Turkey, stating that the discoveries are “a stark reminder of the scale of oppression and suffering inflicted upon the Syrian people by the former regime,” called for the reinstatement of Syria’s rights and privileges under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which were suspended in 2021.
