Statement by Ambassador Byrne Nason at the UNSC on Syria - Chemical Weapons

Statement

I want to start by thanking you, Under-Secretary-General Nakamitsu, for your briefing today, and for your important work on this file. I would like to make three points.

First and foremost, I want to reiterate that the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, at any time is abhorrent and unacceptable. This Council should be united and firm inupholding the international prohibition against these terrible weapons.

The OPCW’s role, as the impartial and technical body mandated by the international community to address these weapons, remains essential. The OPCW’s strong professionalism, impartiality and integrity in handling the Syrian file has been clear throughout. The Council should in turn be clear in its strong support of the OPCW, and in rejecting efforts to undermine the OPCW.

Secondly, the lack of progress by Syria in addressing the serious and growing list of issues under its initial declaration remains a matter of serious concern.

We welcome ongoing efforts by the OPCW to work with Syria to address these issues. We note that Minister Mekdad has accepted the proposal by DG Arias tomeet to look at ways to break the impasse. We note that Syria has now appointed a representative to engage in details for this meeting. We encourage early engagement and hope that such a meeting can contribute to much needed progress.

Unfortunately, the most recent OPCW report points to a growing number of areas where Syrian actions threaten to affect OPCW work on the ground. These include the ongoing substantial delays in issuing visas to OPCW staff; the further delay until October in the deployment of the DAT to Syria, originally planned for May; and limiting the extension of the Tripartite Agreement to just 3 months.

The reported destruction of chlorine cylinders from the incident at Douma raises serious questions. Their removal to a new location without informing the OPCW is disturbing, and symptomatic of the difficulties the OPCW faces. We strongly encourage Syria to provide the OPCW with the requested information and materials, including any remains of the cylinders.

Finally, it is only through Syria’s real and meaningful cooperation with the OPCW that we can resolve these outstanding issues, and can be assured that its entire stocks of chemical weapons are declared - and verifiably destroyed, in line with its commitments under the CWC and Resolution 2118.  This is in all our interests, including Syria’s.

Thank you.

1.    I want to start by thanking you, Under-Secretary-General Nakamitsu, for your briefing today, and for your important work on this file. I would like to make three points.

2.    First and foremost, I want to reiterate that the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, at any time is abhorrent and unacceptable. This Council should be united and firm inupholding the international prohibition against these terrible weapons.

3.    The OPCW’s role, as the impartial and technical body mandated by the international community to address these weapons, remains essential. The OPCW’s strong professionalism, impartiality and integrity in handling the Syrian file has been clear throughout. The Council should in turn be clear in its strong support of the OPCW, and in rejecting efforts to undermine the OPCW.

4.    Secondly, the lack of progress by Syria in addressing the serious and growing list of issues under its initial declaration remains a matter of serious concern.

5.    We welcome ongoing efforts by the OPCW to work with Syria to address these issues. We note that Minister Mekdad has accepted the proposal by DG Arias tomeet to look at ways to break the impasse. We note that Syria has now appointed a representative to engage in details for this meeting. We encourage early engagement and hope that such a meeting can contribute to much needed progress.

6.    Unfortunately, the most recent OPCW report points to a growing number of areas where Syrian actions threaten to affect OPCW work on the ground. These include the ongoing substantial delays in issuing visas to OPCW staff; the further delay until October in the deployment of the DAT to Syria, originally planned for May; and limiting the extension of the Tripartite Agreement to just 3 months.

7.    The reported destruction of chlorine cylinders from the incident at Douma raises serious questions. Their removal to a new location without informing the OPCW is disturbing, and symptomatic of the difficulties the OPCW faces. We strongly encourage Syria to provide the OPCW with the requested information and materials, including any remains of the cylinders.

8.    Finally, it is only through Syria’s real and meaningful cooperation with the OPCW that we can resolve these outstanding issues, and can be assured that its entire stocks of chemical weapons are declared - and verifiably destroyed, in line with its commitments under the CWC and Resolution 2118.  This is in all our interests, including Syria’s.

9.    Thank you.

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