THE HAGUE, Netherlands — On Wednesday, Syria’s foreign minister pledged to dismantle any remaining chemical weapons as he made a historic visit to the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
This significant visit by Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani marked a month since OPCW Director Fernando Arias visited Damascus for discussions with Syria’s new leadership, for the first time since the ousting of former President Bashar Assad.
Al-Shibani addressed the OPCW’s executive council, affirming that Syria’s new administration is dedicated to “eliminating any remnants of chemical weapons programs established during the Assad regime. This will conclude a painful chapter, deliver justice to victims, and secure adherence to international law.”
He emphasized Syria’s need for support from the international community and the OPCW to reach this goal.
Investigations by the OPCW have previously uncovered evidence of repeated chemical weapon use by Assad’s regime throughout Syria’s prolonged civil war.
Syria became an OPCW member in 2013 to avert airstrikes anticipated as a response to a chemical assault on the outskirts of Damascus, during which Assad denied employing chemical weapons. The following year, the OPCW also determined that the Islamic State used mustard gas in the town of Marea.
Arias stated that the OPCW is “prepared to aid the new Syrian authorities in fulfilling the Syrian Arab Republic’s duties under the Chemical Weapons Convention.” He mentioned that a team of OPCW experts is set to travel to Damascus shortly.
During Tuesday’s council meeting, Arias announced that these experts aim to establish a lasting OPCW presence in Syria and initiate visits to sites suspected of housing chemical weapons.
“Once Syrian authorities are ready, the Secretariat will deploy a mission of experts to assist Syria in compiling an inventory of chemical weapon locations, warfare agents, precursors, equipment, munitions, and additional components of the program,” he stated. “Our immediate priority is identifying, securing, declaring, and potentially dismantling these elements.”
While in The Hague, Al-Shibani also visited the International Criminal Court, where he met its chief prosecutor Karim Khan. Although Syria is not a court member, prosecutors there can aid domestic efforts to pursue justice for war crimes.
