The situation in the Middle East - Security Council, 9994th meeting

Syria chemical weapons concerns widen with new evidence, United Nations disarmament chief tells Security Council.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 01:21:40
• Production Date: 12 September 2025
• Asset Language: Arabic; English; French; Russian; Spanish; Chinese; Original
• Personal Subject: IZUMI NAKAMITSU
• Corporate Name: ORGANISATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS - OPCW; UNODA; UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR DISARMAMENT AFFAIRS
• Subject Topical: MIDDLE EAST SITUATION; CHEMICAL WEAPONS; DISARMAMENT; MILITARY ACTIVITY; TERRORISM
• Geographic Subject: MIDDLE EAST; SYRIA; ISRAEL
• MAMS Id: 3447095
• Parent Id: 3446270
• Alternate Title: MTG SC 9994 MIIDDLE EAST 12 SEP 2025 AM

Description

Evidence of nerve agents was found in samples collected from a site in Syria, and information suggests that over 100 additional locations may have been involved in chemical-weapons-related activities in the country, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today.

Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, welcomed the “remarkable progress” since the Council’s last meeting on the matter. She reported that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and Syria have continued to engage on outstanding issues in Syria’s chemical weapons dossier.

She highlighted the regular communication between the Office for Disarmament Affairs and the OPCW Technical Secretariat, as well as her recent virtual meeting with Ambassador Ibrahim Olabi of Syria. Since 2014, however, she recalled, OPCW has been unable to confirm the accuracy of Syria’s chemical weapons declaration due to incomplete or inaccurate information. Currently, 26 unresolved issues remain, involving large quantities of potentially undeclared or unverified chemical warfare agents and chemical munitions, which OPCW deems a “serious concern”, she noted.

• Briefer: Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
• Statements: All Council members, with Algeria speaking on behalf of: Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone, Somalia
• Statements: Syrian Arab Republic, Türkiye

Related Sites and Documents

S/2025/536

S/PV.9994