“All elements of the Assad regime’s chemical weapons program must now be secured, declared, and safely destroyed under international verification,” said U.S. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Dorothy Shea.
Ambassador Shea spoke during a UN Security Council briefing on Syria’s chemical weapons – the first since the ouster of long-time Syrian President and dictator Bashar al-Assad. UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu had described the gravity of the situation facing the Syrian people:
“It is undeniable that the previous authorities in Syria did not declare the full extent of its chemical weapons program and that they continued to use, and possibly produce, chemical weapons after joining the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013.”
Now, High Representative Nakamitzu said, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the OPCW, has reported that the substance of 19 unresolved issues concerning Syria’s chemical weapons program “remains a serious concern, as it involves large quantities of potentially undeclared or unverified chemical warfare agents and chemical munitions.”
The High Representative lauded the stated commitment by the interim Syrian authorities to turn a new page and cooperate with the OPCW.
U.S. Ambassador Shea also welcomed the initial positive steps by the interim Syrian government, and she urged all stakeholders to act quickly to facilitate the work of the OPCW.
“We have a historic opportunity to close this dark chapter in history and to start a new one - creating a Syria that is safer for its people and more secure for the region and the world.”
“The OPCW has a tremendously important mission before it, one that contributes directly to global security and one that requires support from all,” said Ambassador Shea.
“And we, in this Council, have a responsibility to finish what we started back in 2013 when the Council adopted Resolution 2118 with the aim of eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons program and holding those responsible for use of chemical weapons to account. We must remain seized of this critical matter until the work is done.”
“We all seek to achieve a world free of chemical weapons,” declared Ambassador Shea. “Achieving this goal will help us in our pursuit of peace in the region and around the world. Let us move one step closer by supporting the OPCW as it assumes this vital role in Syria.”
