OPCW reinstates Syria's voting rights
Quick Look
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) reinstated Syria's voting rights, five years after they were stripped under Bashar Assad, citing the new Syrian authorities' commitment to fulfilling chemical weapons obligations and cooperation with the watchdog.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Syria's voting rights were stripped in 2021 due to the Assad government's failure to declare its full chemical weapons program and confirmed use of chemical weapons on Syrian territory.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Thursday reinstated Syria's voting rights at the global chemical weapons watchdog, five years after it was stripped of such rights under ousted President Bashar Assad.
In a statement on its website, the watchdog cited a "significant change in circumstances" since the fall of the Assad regime as its reason for the reinstatement.
OPCW hails progress in disclosing chemical stockpile
The OPCW executive council adopted the decision in its Thursday session, co-sponsored by 67 states parties and adopted by consensus.
"Following the fall of the Assad regime, the new Syrian authorities committed to fulfilling Syria's obligations under the Convention and have since taken concrete steps to cooperate with the Technical Secretariat to achieve this goal," the OPCW statement read.
The executive council welcomed the progress made by Damascus in addressing outstanding issues related to its chemical weapons program. This recent progress includes:
Amending its initial declaration of chemical weapons
Preparing facility agreements
Facilitating verification activities
Taking initial steps toward the destruction of identified remnants
"The decisions provide a robust framework for advancing the next phase of verification and destruction activities, under the aegis of the Executive Council, and marks another milestone in the OPCW's efforts to achieve the complete and verified elimination of all remaining chemical weapons associated with the former Syrian government," OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias said.
Why did Syria lose its voting rights in the chemical watchdog?
Syria joined the watchdog in 2013, amid the civil war which erupted after anti-government protests took a deadly turn. The decision was taken under Western pressure over poison gas attacks against the opposition.
At the time, the Assad administration claimed chemical weapons were present at 26 locations in the country, but the watchdog said it believed there were an additional 100 sites.
In 2021, the Arab country was stripped of certain rights and privileges due to the Assad government's "failure to declare the full scope of its chemical weapons program and the confirmed use of chemical weapons on Syrian territory," the watchdog said.
Both the Assad regime and non-state actors, namely the so-called "Islamic State" militant group, are believed to have used chemical weapons, according to the watchdog.
Assad was ousted in a lightning rebel offensive led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former Islamist militia leader who is now the country's interim president. Sharaa has been striving to rebuild the country's bridges with the West since taking over.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
OPCW will advance the next phase of verification and destruction activities in Syria.
Very likely · Within months
Open Questions
- What specific steps will be taken in the next phase of verification?
- How will the OPCW verify the destruction of identified remnants?
- What is the full extent of the remaining chemical weapons?
