The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Fernando Arias, has called on Syria’s new leadership to grant investigators access to the country in order to continue identifying those responsible for chemical attacks during the ongoing civil war.
In a statement during a special session of the OPCW, Arias acknowledged that Syria had shown some positive signals regarding the need to eliminate chemical weapons but noted that no formal request had been made yet. The OPCW’s executive council convened in The Hague to discuss the next steps following the unexpected removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power.
US Ambassador to the OPCW, Nicole Shampaine, highlighted that the fall of Assad presents a unique opportunity to rid Syria of its chemical weapons. She emphasized Washington’s strong support for the global watchdog’s efforts to complete the task, stressing the importance of working with Syria’s new leaders to eliminate the weapons for good.
The evolving political situation in Syria has raised hopes for greater transparency about the country’s chemical weapons program. For over a decade, investigations by the OPCW and a joint UN-OPCW team have identified multiple instances of chemical weapons use by Assad’s forces between 2015 and 2017. Despite Syria’s initial agreement in 2013 to dismantle its chemical arsenal, evidence continues to point to ongoing violations, which the OPCW seeks to address by ensuring accountability and justice for the victims of these attacks.
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