OPCW Director-General Visits Syria to Discuss Progress on Chemical Weapons Elimination

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias, visited Syria on February 8, 2025, to meet with Syrian authorities and discuss the next steps in eliminating the country’s chemical weapons program. This high-level visit marks the beginning of renewed efforts between the OPCW and Syria's caretaker government to resolve the longstanding issue of Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles.

Arias, accompanied by a delegation from the OPCW, met with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and caretaker Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani. During the meeting, the two sides engaged in a detailed discussion about Syria’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the OPCW’s role, and how the technical secretariat can assist Syria in eliminating remnants of its chemical weapons program. This visit follows years of stagnation, largely due to the lack of cooperation from previous Syrian authorities, which had resulted in the suspension of Syria’s rights within the OPCW since April 2021.

“This visit marks a reset,” said Arias. “After eleven years of obstruction, the Syrian caretaker authorities now have the opportunity to meet the country's obligations under the Convention. The OPCW stands ready to support Syria in this process.”

The OPCW has been working to address significant gaps in Syria’s initial declaration of its chemical weapons program, which was incomplete and contained discrepancies about the total stockpile. The OPCW’s 9-Point Action Plan for Syria lays out the steps necessary to close these gaps, which includes a detailed inventory of sites, equipment, munitions, chemicals, and personnel related to Syria’s chemical weapons program.

Arias emphasized the importance of transparent cooperation and the OPCW’s commitment to rebuilding trust between Syria and the international community. "We must break the impasse for the good of Syria and the international community,” he said.

The OPCW, since the Chemical Weapons Convention’s entry into force in 1997, has overseen the destruction of over 72,000 metric tons of chemical weapons globally, including the stockpiles of all 193 member states. The organization’s efforts in this area were recognized with the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

In 2023, the OPCW verified that all declared chemical weapons stockpiles had been irreversibly destroyed under its strict verification regime. The OPCW now seeks to extend these efforts in Syria, helping the country comply with its obligations under the CWC and eliminate the remnants of its chemical weapons program.

As part of its ongoing mandate, the OPCW is working with three different active missions in Syria: the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT), the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), and the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team (IIT). These teams are responsible for verifying Syria’s compliance with its obligations and investigating any remaining issues related to chemical weapons use.

Ambassador Arias’s visit is seen as a critical first step toward breaking the deadlock that has persisted for more than a decade and ensuring Syria’s full compliance with the CWC.