Syria affirmed, through its permanent representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim al-Ulabi, its full commitment to implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention and eliminating the legacy of the ousted regime, stressing that this commitment “is not merely a legal obligation” but also reflects the suffering of Syrians who were victims of these weapons.
During a special session of the U.N. Security Council held Tuesday to review developments in Syria’s chemical weapons dossier, al-Ulabi said the final elimination of such weapons constitutes “a moral duty and a national responsibility” to prevent the recurrence of such crimes and to strengthen security and stability in the region.
Al-Ulabi also affirmed that cooperation between Damascus and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) remains ongoing and transparent. Noting that Syrian authorities have facilitated the organization’s teams’ access to more than 25 sites suspected of links to the former chemical program, while also allowing the review of more than 10,000 official documents and conducting interviews with 19 witnesses connected to the program during the previous era.
The Syrian government continues to coordinate with the organization to prepare for additional visits and activities aimed at destroying materials or facilities at other locations, he added.
In the context of accountability, al-Alabi referred to the report issued by the OPCW’s Investigation and Identification Team (IIT), which concluded that forces of the ousted Assad regime were responsible for a chlorine gas attack on the town of Kafr Zita in 2016.
The session witnessed a notable shift in international discourse, with several nations praising the constructive cooperation between the current Syrian government and the Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The U.K. welcomed progress on dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons, citing the 2016 Kafr Zita attack. Greece and Latvia praised ongoing technical cooperation, while Pakistan supported Syria’s sovereignty and urged international assistance. Bahrain emphasized a WMD-free Middle East, praised Syria’s efforts, and condemned Iranian attacks on GCC states as violations of international law.
