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<\/p>\n
Adedeji Ebo, Officer-in-Charge of the UN\u2019s Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA),\u00a0welcomed\u00a0a\u00a0commitment by the new authorities to cooperate with the\u00a0Organisation\u00a0for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).<\/p>\n
He\u00a0delivered the latest monthly\u00a0briefing\u00a0on engagement\u00a0between Syria and\u00a0the\u00a0UN partner\u00a0which began more than a decade ago following a\u00a0Sarin nerve gas\u00a0attack\u00a0in the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, that killed hundreds.<\/p>\n
In response, the Council unanimously adopted\u00a0resolution 2118 (2013)\u00a0which called for the speedy implementation of procedures drawn up by the OPCW \u201cfor the expeditious destruction\u201d\u00a0of\u00a0Syria\u2019s verified chemical weapons\u00a0programme.<\/p>\n
Mr. Ebo recalled that since 2014, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has not been able to confirm that the declaration\u00a0submitted\u00a0by the\u00a0previous\u00a0government was\u00a0accurate\u00a0and complete as it\u00a0contained\u00a0insufficient and inaccurate information.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The experts were concerned about\u00a0large quantities\u00a0of potentially undeclared or unverified chemical warfare agents and chemical munitions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new Syrian Government has been working with the OPCW Technical Secretariat to obtain clarifications on the full extent and scope of the\u00a0programme\u00a0developed\u201d during the Assad regime, so it can\u00a0comply\u00a0with\u00a0the Chemical Weapons Convention, he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The OPCW oversees implementation of the 1992 treaty aimed at\u00a0eliminating\u00a0this entire category of weapons of mass destruction.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0Technical Secretariat\u2019s\u00a0latest\u00a0report underscored that in addition to the 26 declared chemical weapons sites\u00a0in Syria, information\u00a0received\u00a0suggests that\u00a0more than 100 other sites may have been involved<\/strong>\u00a0in the\u00a0former government\u2019s chemical weapons-related activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Teams\u00a0plan to visit all these locations,\u00a0bearing\u00a0in mind\u00a0security and other considerations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since last March, teams have visited 19 locations, four of which were previously declared.\u00a0They also conducted interviews with former chemical weapons experts and collected six samples as well as\u00a0over 6,000 documents.\u00a0<\/p>\n Further deployments are being planned, including the possibility of visiting several high-priority chemical weapons-related locations in the coastal and northern areas close to Latakia.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Mr. Ebo\u00a0also\u00a0highlighted\u00a0other\u00a0recent concrete steps, including the re-establishment of a continuous presence of the OPCW Mission in Syria.\u00a0<\/p>\n He reminded the Council that\u00a0significant challenges\u00a0lie\u00a0ahead, and consistent support from the entire international community will be critical to efforts to rid\u00a0the country\u00a0of all chemical weapons.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In November, the OPCW Director-General\u00a0wrote\u00a0to members of\u00a0its\u00a0Executive Council\u00a0transmitting\u00a0a\u00a0needs\u00a0and gaps assessment\u00a0that will inform countries and other parties willing to offer support.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have been informed that the OPCW Technical Secretariat has been supporting and advising the Syrian Arab Republic, and other States Parties\u2026Destruction might need to be carried out on-site where conditions require it,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0Executive Council\u00a0recently endorsed the measure, which\u00a0constitutes\u00a0a positive step forward, he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mr. Ebo told ambassadors\u00a0the\u00a0Technical Secretariat\u00a0remains\u00a0committed to delivering on its mandate to verify\u00a0Syria\u2019s\u00a0full implementation of all declaration requirements under the Convention, decisions by the OPCW policy-making organs, and Security Council resolutions.\u00a0<\/p>\nSite visits<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
International support needed<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\u2018A critical opportunity\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n