France reiterates its help for the OPCW groups

Mr. President,

I want to thank the Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Mr. Adedeji Ebo, for his briefing. I welcome the presence amongst us of the Permanent Representative of Syria.

Mr. President,

The political transition that started 13 months in the past in Syria with the autumn of Bashar al-Assad’s regime generates super hope.

France is dedicated to supporting the Syrian authorities in conducting a peaceable and inclusive transition that respects the rights of all parts of Syrian society, within the spirit of the ideas enshrined in Security Council Resolution 2254.

This political transition provides a historic alternative to realize the chemical disarmament of Syria and to make sure accountability for using these inhumane weapons, which the Assad regime has used repeatedly towards its personal inhabitants.

In 2025, a dynamic of cooperation started between Syria and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Mr. President,

The OPCW groups have been in a position to perform a number of deployments in Syria. One can notice particularly the deployment of the staff tasked with investigating and figuring out these liable for using chemical weapons, which is now integrated into the OPCW’s Special Operations Office.

In November, in one other notable improvement, Syria appointed a brand new ambassador to the OPCW at The Hague.

We welcome the dedication undertaken by the Syrian transitional authorities to open a brand new chapter with the OPCW and to lastly transfer ahead, in accordance with their worldwide obligations, in direction of the entire and verifiable elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons program.

Mr. President,

There are important challenges which persist in assembly the expectations of the worldwide group:

  First, the challenges associated to the legacy of the Assad regime.

Due to the Assad regime’s quite a few omissions, Syria’s nationwide declaration on the standing of its chemical program nonetheless can’t be thought of correct and full in gentle of the necessities of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

This was reiterated within the newest report by the Director-General of the OPCW, which highlights that 19 questions referring to this declaration stay unanswered, probably regarding important shares of army chemical brokers.

The OPCW additionally estimates that round 100 undeclared websites could have been concerned in actions associated to Syria’s chemical program.

  Secondly, there are challenges associated to the situations underneath which the elimination of the rest of the previous regime’s chemical program is being resumed.

We usually are not in a state of affairs the place the regime, or the governments, having developed a program themselves, are deciding to dismantle it, since Bashar al-Assad’s regime has all the time refused to take action. The know-how is subsequently fragmented and the previous experience is not accessible, which complicates the duties to be completed.

Mr. President,

In this context, which can be marked by main financial and monetary wants in Syria, France stresses the significance of two parts:

  first, the Syrian authorities should stay totally engaged in full and full cooperation with the OPCW. France will probably be vigilant on this regard;

  second, the worldwide group should present resolute technical and monetary help to assist the Syrian authorities fulfill their obligations and deal with the very distinctive challenges I discussed a second in the past.

France reiterates its help for the OPCW groups, as demonstrated by our contribution to the particular fund for Syria in 2025.

At the final Conference of States Parties to the CWC in November, France supported the choice to delegate to the OPCW Executive Council the facility to revive Syria’s rights and privileges as a State Party, which had been suspended in 2021.

The potential restoration of those rights and privileges will probably be an vital step in Syria’s reintegration into the worldwide group. In order to realize this aim, substantial progress should proceed to be made by way of cooperation with the OPCW and in direction of the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons program.

Thank you.