Syria Gives Access to Chemical Weapons Sites
(MENAFN) Izumi Nakamitsu, the United Nations' top official for disarmament affairs, expressed approval on Thursday regarding Syria’s fresh collaboration with international chemical weapons inspectors.
The interim leadership in Damascus is now permitting comprehensive entry to suspected chemical weapons facilities, as part of its effort to align with the regulations of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
During her remarks to the UN Security Council, Nakamitsu highlighted that the changing political conditions in Syria present "an important opportunity to obtain long-overdue clarifications on the full extent and scope of the Syrian chemical weapons program."
She emphasized that this shift could finally provide insight into unresolved questions about the country’s chemical arsenal.
According to Nakamitsu, two OPCW teams have been active in Syria since March. These missions included site inspections and discussions with Syrian representatives.
"The OPCW team also had a technical meeting with two Syrian experts and gathered new information that had not been previously revealed by the former Syrian authorities," she noted, indicating the significance of newly acquired data in understanding Syria’s past chemical activities.
She applauded the interim government for granting "unfettered access, inter-alia, to sites and people," and acknowledged that their "commitment to fully and transparently cooperate with the OPCW Technical Secretariat is commendable."
This level of transparency marks a notable change in the country’s prior stance.
While recognizing the challenges that lie ahead, Nakamitsu called on members of the Security Council to "unite and show leadership in providing the support that this unprecedented effort will require," stressing the importance of international unity in confronting this complex issue.
This renewed scrutiny follows the infamous August 2013 chemical attack, when the previous Assad-led government deployed sarin gas—a lethal nerve agent—on the Ghouta suburb of Damascus, resulting in the deaths of over 1,400 people, including many children.
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