US and UK welcome Syria's restoration of its rights and privileges in the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
The U.S. Presidential Special Envoy to Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrack, congratulated Syria on the restoration of its rights and privileges in the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). In a post on his official account on the X platform, Barrack noted that this important milestone reflects the notable progress achieved by the Syrian government and its commitment to engaging responsibly with the international community.
For his part, the office of the UK Special Representative for Syria welcomed the restoration of Syria’s rights in the organization. The office stated in a post on its X account: “The United Kingdom recognizes this historic moment and welcomes the restoration of Syria’s rights and privileges in the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention. We commend the Syrian people and their dedication to eradicating the legacy of the detested Assad regime.”
The OPCW Executive Council adopted a resolution on Thursday restoring Syria’s rights and privileges under the Chemical Weapons Convention, a move that reflects the international community’s confidence in the transformation Syria has undergone, as well as the efforts of its institutions to fulfill their commitments and cooperate constructively with the Technical Secretariat in addressing the legacy of the chemical program from the era of the ousted regime, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
It is worth noting that on April 21, 2021, the States Parties to the OPCW decided to suspend some of Syria’s membership rights after the organization established that the ousted regime had used chemical weapons in attacks that took place in the town of al-Lataminah in Hama Governorate in March 2017, and in the city of Saraqib in Idlib Governorate in February 2018.
The OPCW and the United Nations formed a joint inspection mission for chemical weapons in Syria, and the mission announced the completion of its task on August 19, 2014, following the destruction of the deposed regime’s chemical weapons stockpile.
However, subsequent investigations conducted by the OPCW and international investigation mechanisms revealed that the regime had not declared its entire chemical program, and later continued to use chlorine and sarin gas in attacks targeting several areas in Syria.
The OPCW Executive Council had previously adopted a resolution restoring Syria’s rights and privileges under the Chemical Weapons Convention, a step reflecting the international community’s confidence in the transformation Syria has undergone, and in the efforts of its institutions to implement their commitments and cooperate constructively with the Technical Secretariat in addressing the legacy of the chemical program from the era of the ousted regime.
On April 21, 2021, the States Parties to the OPCW decided to suspend some of Syria’s membership rights after the organization established that the ousted regime had used chemical weapons in attacks that occurred in 2017 and 2018. UN and human rights reports also documented the continued use of chemical weapons by the ousted regime during the years of war, despite its accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013 and its commitment to dismantling its chemical program.
