Syria begins destroying chemical weapons dating back to the Assad era
Damascus’s UN representative, Ibrahim Al-Ali, said on Thursday, “This is the first destruction operation since our liberation from the previous regime, and also the first of its kind to destroy chemical materials on Syrian soil in more than a decade.”
He stressed that “this is a moment that truly demonstrates that the file which has been a source of danger to Syrians and the world for years can be transformed into a model of what diplomacy, combined with determination, sincere will, and the spirit of international cooperation, can achieve on the ground.”
For her part, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said during the session that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the new Syrian government have done significant work to eliminate any remnants of the chemical weapons program developed by the previous government.
She affirmed that Damascus is fully cooperating with the organization to address outstanding issues in this file, noting that “collective efforts are yielding tangible results in addressing remaining chemical weapons, which underscores the importance of constructive and continuous engagement between the OPCW and the Syrian government.”
This step is part of Syria’s cooperation with the OPCW to disclose all components of the chemical program run by Assad, and to secure and destroy found materials and munitions in accordance with approved technical procedures under the organization’s supervision.
During field operations this year, with support from the Syrian government, the organization’s teams discovered munitions and chemical materials not previously declared by the ousted regime, as well as equipment and documents linked to its chemical program. The organization confirmed that the discovery resulted from extensive cooperation by the Syrian side.
In recent months, the Syrian government, in collaboration with international partners, has launched efforts to eliminate remnants of the chemical weapons stockpile and to identify sites and materials not declared by the former regime.
Damascus has also launched the “Breaths of Freedom” initiative as part of international efforts to close this file, alongside steps related to accountability for the use of chemical weapons and closing the legacy of the program left by the previous regime.
