Syria: Chemical weapons watchdog hits reset button in Damascus, following productive meetings

This article is published in association with United Nations.

In a significant move towards eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons programme, the head of the UN-backed international watchdog dedicated to ending the scourge has been visiting Damascus, together with a high-level delegation.

In a press release on Saturday the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Director-General Fernando Arias and his team had met interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and caretaker Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, at their invitation – drawing a line under “11 years of obstruction” by the Assad regime, which was driven from power in early December.

The meetings were described as long, productive, and open, with an in-depth exchange of information. This dialogue aims to break the long stalemate over use of the banned weapons during Syria’s brutal civil conflict, and achieve tangible results.

Positive first step

This visit marks the first step in re-establishing a direct working relationship between the OPCW Technical Secretariat and Syria.

Discussions focused on Syria’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the OPCW’s role and mandate, and the support the Technical Secretariat can provide to eliminate the remnants of Syria’s chemical weapons programme.

“This visit marks a reset. After eleven years of obstruction by the previous authorities, the Syrian caretaker authorities have a chance to turn the page and meet Syria’s obligations under the Convention,” said Director-General Arias.

“My presence in Damascus reflects the OPCW’s commitment to rebuilding a relationship based on mutual trust and transparency. For over a decade, Syria’s chemical weapons dossier was at a deadlock. Today, we must seize this opportunity together and break that impasse for the good of the Syrian people and the international community.”

Failure to verify

Since 2013, Syria’s declaration of its chemical weapons programme has been incomplete, with significant quantities of outlawed weaponry unaccounted for.

Mr. Arias emphasised the OPCW’s readiness to work with Syria’s transitional authorities to address these open questions and implement its responsibilities to regain good standing within the organisation.

He presented the Secretariat’s nine-point Action Plan for Syria to the interim President and caretaker Foreign Minister.

Commitment to Support

The Director-General reiterated the OPCW’s commitment to support the country and bring it back into compliance as a member state.

By doing so, the caretaker authorities will safeguard the Syrian people, hold accountable any identified perpetrators of chemical weapons use, and bolster the country’s reputation as a reliable and trusted member of the international community.

“This visit lays the ground for working together towards closing the Syrian chemical weapons file for good and fostering long-term compliance, regional stability, and contributing to peace and international security,” said Mr. Arias.

Questions raised

Syria became a State Party to the CWC and a Member State of the OPCW in October 2013. A joint OPCW-UN mission in cooperation with the former Syrian authorities led to the removal and verifiable destruction of all declared chemical weapons.

However, questions about the accuracy and completeness of Syria’s initial declaration have persisted.

The OPCW Action Plan, based on the Technical Secretariat’s extensive experience, outlines the next steps: drawing an inventory of sites, equipment, munitions, chemicals, documents, people, and facilities; declaring all elements of the Syrian chemical weapons programme; and ensuring its verifiable elimination.

Long-term compliance with the CWC will be established through reinforced cooperation.

Groundwork for success

As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States aims to permanently eliminate chemical weapons.

Since the Convention’s entry into force in 1997, it has been the most successful disarmament treaty on record, eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.

In 2023, the watchdog verified that all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the 193 States Parties to the CWC since 1997 have been irreversibly destroyed under the OPCW’s strict verification regime.

For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.