A delegation from the global watchdog responsible for overseeing chemical weapons arrived in Damascus on Saturday to engage with the new leadership in Syria for the first time since the overthrow of former President Bashar Assad.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had previously documented numerous instances where chemical weapons were utilized by Assad’s administration throughout the lengthy civil conflict in Syria, which has persisted for nearly 14 years.

Syria became a member of the OPCW in 2013 as a measure to avert possible military strikes following a chemical assault near Damascus, although Assad has consistently denied any use of such weapons. Additionally, last year, the organization reported that the Islamic State group had deployed mustard gas in attacks on the town of Marea.

The current delegation aimed to meet with President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani and is composed of technical experts looking to establish communication with their Syrian counterparts. In the wake of Assad’s ousting, the Qatari embassy located in The Hague has stepped in as a liaison between the new Syrian government and the OPCW.

The concerns surrounding Syria’s arsenal of toxic chemicals prompted the OPCW to convene an emergency meeting only days after Assad was toppled during a rapid rebel advance in December. At that assembly, the OPCW informed the newly installed leadership that adherence to protocols for the protection and elimination of hazardous materials, including chlorine gas, was mandatory.

Officials from the OPCW have also expressed worries that a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting remnants of the former Syrian military could have resulted in the contamination of sites with hazardous substances or compromised potential evidence relating to chemical weapons.

With 193 member countries, the OPCW mandates that nations disclose and disarm their chemical weapons programs. Founded in 1997 through the Chemical Weapons Convention, the organization is committed to the eradication of all chemical weaponry. It received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its efforts in this field.

While the OPCW initially made headway in documenting Syria’s stockpile of restricted chemicals, including sarin and chlorine, strained relations with the Assad regime formed significant barriers to ongoing inspections. This visit marks the first occurrence of OPCW officials being present in Syria since 2022.