Welcoming Syria’s cooperation with the Technical Secretariat of Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Pakistan has underscored the need for independent verification to eliminate suspected chemical weapons in Syria that were developed under the Assad regime and any risks of proliferation.
“We look forward to their continued cooperation, in full compliance with the CWC and Security Council resolutions, to close the Syrian chemical weapons file as soon as possible,” Ambassador Usman Jadoon, acting permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council on Thursday.
The 15-member Council had met to discuss Syria’s ‘chemical weapons file’, focusing on issues related to the use, monitoring and compliance with international obligations on chemical weapons.
As highlighted by the Technical Secretariat, the Pakistani envoy said it was also important to bridge the gap between “what the Syrian Arab Republic must provide and the capacity it has at its disposal”.
“Continued international support to Syria and the Technical Secretariat, therefore, remains critically important,” he said.
At the same time, Ambassador Jadoon said Pakistan supports Syria’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, which are essential for durable peace and stability, while also backing an inclusive, Syrian-owned and Syrian-led political process.
The Pakistani envoy pointed out that Syria’s security situation is severely affected by Israel’s military occupation of parts of Syrian territory and its continued strikes on Syrian sites and facilities, which have also impeded OPCW’s technical work.
Pakistan, he said, appreciates the commitment of the Syrian authorities to fully implement the CWC, secure suspected chemical weapons sites and address outstanding issues, while reaffirming Islamabad’s opposition to the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, and under any circumstances.
At the outset of the debate, Adedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, told the Council that, since 2014, OPCW has been unable to verify the accuracy of Syria’s original chemical weapons declaration.
He said Syria’s new Government is now cooperating with the OPCW Technical Secretariat to clarify the programme’s full scope, including more than 100 additional sites beyond the 26 declared locations. Some sites are in dangerous areas, posing risks to inspection teams.
Welcoming the Government’s “commendable” cooperation, Ebo stressed there is a “critical opportunity” to obtain long-overdue clarifications and eliminate all chemical weapons, urging Council members to “show leadership” and provide sustained international support.