The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu stated that Syria has not yet provided sufficient technical information or explanations to enable the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to close the issue of the discovery of a Schedule 2 chemical detected at the Barzah facilities of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre.

The OPCW Technical Secretariat still plans to undertake two rounds of inspections of the Centre's facilities in Barzah and Jamrayah, whilst still working with the Syrian authorities and informing the OPCW Executive Board of any progress. Meanwhile, the Organisation's Fact-Finding Mission is studying all available information relating to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria.

The OPCW Technical Secretariat has not yet received a reply to the letter of July 2020 that delineated the country's obligations under the OPCW Executive Council regarding the possession and use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Arab Republic. After the reply, the Technical Secretariat will be ready to assist the Government in the implementation of these obligations within the requested 90-day period.

To know more, please read:

https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/09/1072092

https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061402

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/addressing-the-use-of-chemical-weapons-in-syria

Author: Carla Pintor