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Situation in Middle East (Syria) - 8764th Meeting of Security Council
Second Briefer Excluded as Procedural Vote Fails to Win Support of Most Members
Despite some of its work remaining curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is pressing forward with efforts to verify the destruction of Syria’s stockpiles and production facilities, the senior United Nations disarmament official told the Security Council today, as members diverged sharply over procedural matters.
Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said that, since she last briefed the Council, her Office has maintained regular contact with OPCW and has not received any further information from the Syrian authorities on the implementation of resolution 2118 (2013) — which first mandated the scheduled destruction of the country’s chemical weapons programme. COVID-19 continues to impact the organization’s ability to deploy to Syria, but its staff continues its technical work, including a new deployment by the Declaration Assessment Team to Damascus. She noted that Syria recently relayed more information about its initial declaration, adding two amendments.
Outlining other elements of OPCW’s recent work, she said that, on 2 October, it issued reports related to its investigation of alleged toxic substance use in Aleppo in 2018, and in Saraqib in 2016. Investigations also continue into incidents where the organization’s fact‑finding mission has decided that chemical weapons were used or likely used. It is still awaiting a reply from Syria in response to its offer to assist the country in fulfilling its obligations within the mandated period of 90 days. Underlining the urgent need not only to identify but to hold accountable all those who have used chemical weapons, she urged the Council to demonstrate leadership in that arena.
Prior to Ms. Nakamitsu’s briefing, the representative of the United Kingdom, speaking for a group of delegations, objected to a proposal by the Russian Federation, Council President for October, to invite former OPCW Director-General José Bustani to serve as a second briefer on the grounds that Mr. Bustani stepped down from the organization in 2002 and is therefore not relevant to today’s discussion. He urged the Council to be cautious about any briefers that will only serve to politized its discussions and distract from the real issues. A procedural vote was held and members rejected Mr. Bustani’s participation with 6 votes against (Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) to 3 in favour (China, Russian Federation, South Africa), with 6 abstentions (Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, Viet Nam)
During the meeting, Council members explained their positions on that matter, as well as on the broader issue of Syria’s chemical weapons programme. Several said they were worried that a number of issues related to the implementation of resolution 2118 (2013) remain outstanding, while others raised concerns about OPCW’s impartiality. Still other speakers sounded alarms over the Council’s disunity on such a critical issue, calling for an end to politicization and infighting.
Estonia’s representative, highlighting lingering questions about Damascus’ compliance, said that, after six years, “we still lack the assurance that Syria has declared and destroyed all of its chemical weapons and their production facilities”. Indeed, the Syrian regime's non-compliance with its international obligations continues to pose a threat to the population and to international peace and security. Noting that the Council has an obligation to act amid such circumstances, he said the organ now faces another challenge — a systematic and targeted disinformation campaign to discredit and undermine OPCW and its investigative mechanisms.
The representative of the United States said that, while her country wants open discussions in the Council, that was not the goal in inviting the former OPCW director-general to brief. OPCW, through its impartial investigations, reports continued non-compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as Syria’s disregard for human life and humanitarian concerns. The Council must not stay silent, she said, calling upon the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to come into compliance with the Convention and avert further tragedies.
South Africa’s representative underlined his delegation’s support for multilateralism and international norms against the use of weapons of mass destruction — including chemical weapons. As the alleged use of such weapons is a very serious matter, it is imperative that all parties are able to maintain full confidence in OPCW as the only competent authority to investigate them. “External interference in its work must not be tolerated,” he stressed, advocating for a more holistic, impartial approach to the issue.
However, the representative of the Russian Federation said today’s events show that Western countries only want to hear confirmations of their allegations and not the truth. He read out the statement that would have been presented by former OPCW Director-General José Bustani, had the Council not voted to reject his briefing. Speaking in his national capacity, he warned that OPCW is becoming a conduit for certain countries’ interests. Noting that Syria’s chemical weapons cannot be accounted for today because they have been destroyed and simply do not exist, he expressed concern that the Syrian Government’s accounts of chemical weapons use by opposition groups has been repeatedly dismissed.
China’s representative also expressed regret over the results of the procedural vote, describing the views expressed by the representative of the United Kingdom and others as an example of bare-boned hypocrisy. Calling on members to show more consistency in their positions — as well as more inclusiveness and openness regarding briefers — he welcomed Syria’s continued cooperation with OPCW, while underlining his hope that full, fair and impartial investigations will be undertaken based on established facts. In that vein, he cautioned against jumping to any conclusions when sufficient evidence does not exist, and when there is a plethora of doubts.
Syria’s representative said his delegation has nothing to hide before the Council. Citing a high degree of politicization on the part of some States — the same ones that support terrorists in his country and impose sanctions — he said they do not want to admit that Syria has fully abided by its commitments. OPCW, which received the Nobel Peace Prize for its work, has now become a mere tool for those Governments. He pointed out that, in the cases of Iraq and Libya, similar lies permitted States to “bury truths in the United Nations cellars”, only to be opened and understood many years later. Countries should raise their voices against OPCW’s politicization and the organization itself should stand firm against outside interference, he stressed.
Also speaking were representatives of Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Germany, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Dominican Republic, Belgium, Tunisia, France, Turkey and Iran.
The meeting began at 3:10 p.m. and ended at 5:45 p.m.
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MEETINGS COVERAGE
