Syria’s Representative to OPCW: Investigation and Identification Team lacks ligitimacy

Syria’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Milad Attia has stressed that the Organization’s  Investigation and Identification Team (IIT)  lacks ligitimacy and that Syria doesn’t recognize this illegitimate team, which was given a mandate that contradicts the items of the Chemical Weapons Conventions (CWC), pointing out that Syria rejects all the team’s reports starting from its commitment to the provisions of the CWC.

In a statement during 103rd  session of the OPCW Exectutive Council, Attia said Syria believes that the CWC is one of the most important international agreements  that seeks to rid the world of the an entire part of Weapond of Mass Destruction (WMD), so it  joined the agreement and implemented all its obligations in a record time under extremely difficult circumstances not witnessed by any other state party to this agreement.

“Syria has always affirmed its categorical rejection of the use of chemical weapons by any party, under any circumstances and in any place,” Attia affirmed.

Since 2018 the organization has suffered a serious deviation in its work and today, it is suffering from polarization and sharp divisions that it has not witnessed before, as a result of attempts by some Western countries to use the organization as a tool to implement political agendas that have nothing to do with the goals and purposes of this agreement, Attia explained.

“Best example that proof this fact is its inability to reach a final document during the work of the Fifth Review Conference 2023, as Western countries tried to impose their agendas and pass ideas that clearly and explicitly contradict the provisions of the agreement, and even make false and unfounded accusations against other party states,” he made it clear.

Some western countries sought to involve the OPCW in geopolitical issues

Attia went on to say that some western countries sought to involve the technical organization in regional and international geopolitical issues, pointing out that this is evident in the use by those countries of the meetings of the policy-making bodies of the Organization as a platform to level false accusations against Russia regarding its special military operation in Ukraine.

In this regard, Attia reiterated Syria’s firm support for Russia’s right to defend itself and protect its national security against the aggressive Western policies, and that Syria’s supportive position of this operation has been based on well-established political, ethical and legal considerations and principles.

Attia pointed out that Syria has faced an unprecedented campaign of skepticism and false accusations of non-cooperation with the organization and its technical secretariat, pointing out that the behavior of those countries contradicts the provisions of the agreement and the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

Moreover, Attia said, Syria along with several other countries have put forward objective notices regarding the work of the OPCW “fact-finding mission”, which has been proven biased and unprofessional due to its attempts to falsify facts in more than a report.

In addition, Attia said that Syria along with several other countries have put forward objective notices regarding the work of the OPCW “fact-finding mission”, which has been proven biased and unprofessional due to its attempts to falsify facts in more than a report. Yet, Syria has cooperated with the mission’s teams and facilitated their work to make the mission a success, therefore, Syria called on the mission to correct the shortcomings and faults in it its work methods.

Attia clarified that the report of this mission, issued on the 28th of last June, on the two incidents of Khirbet Al-Masasneh in Hama governorate, and the denial of the use of chemical weapons in these two incidents, prove the obvious defects in the work of the team of this mission, noting that Syria has provided all the required information, documents and witnesses to the mission team for more than a year, at a time when the mission relied in its investigations on fabricated information from unreliable open sources.

Concerning the OPCW’s Declaration Assessment Team that was established at the request of Syria to help it prepare its initial declaration, Attia said that Western countries worked to divert the work of this team and turn it into additional tool to put pressure on Syria despite its commitment to an organized dialogue with the team, and to provide all the facilities required for the success of the team’s missions in order to end the remaining pending technical issues.

Syria doesn’t recognize the legitimacy of the IIT

Attia reiterated Syria’s firm position on the illegitimate “Investigation and Identification Team” which was given a mandate that violates the provisions of the agreement. Therefore, Syria, along with other countries, doesn’t recognize the legitimacy of the team and its work, and rejects any reports issued or will be issued by it, based on Syria’s respect, compliance and commitment to the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Attia also clarified that “early last June, the “Berlin 21 Group” circulated to many missions accredited to the organization and to representatives of some geographical groups in the organization, as well as to the Technical Secretariat of the organization and the Director General, a letter of great importance. Attached to the letter was a detailed report that includes a review of the investigations conducted by the OPCW into the alleged Douma incident on April 7, 2018. The report, which was prepared by many experts known for their knowledge, experience, integrity and objectivity, explains how scientific evidence about this alleged incident was manipulated by the OPCW and the Investigation and Identification Team.  The report concluded that the conclusions of the so-called “Investigation and Identification Team” were based on a clearly flawed analysis”.

 OPCW state parties and UN must assume their responsibilities to preserve the independence of the organization

He said that Syria regrets the Technical Secretariat’s refusal to deal with these scientific and objective conclusions and reports, explaining that the Technical Secretariat’s silence and refusal is evidence of bias and a violation of its mandate, thus, Syria calls on all the OPCW state parties and the United Nations to assume their responsibilities to preserve the independence of this Organization.

Attia also said that achieving the universality of the Chemical Weapons Convention represents a very important step in ensuring the establishment of an effective global mechanism against these weapons. However, this matter will not be achieved without obligating the Israeli occupation entity, which possesses a huge arsenal of all types of weapons of mass destruction, including chemical ones, to join this agreement and put its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons under international control.

Attia called for international cooperation to confront the illegal restrictions and coercive measures imposed by some well-known countries on the transfer of scientific technology for peaceful purposes to developing countries with the aim of preventing these countries from achieving economic and scientific development for their people, and from using Chemistry for peaceful purposes in clear violation of the provisions of the Convention and international law.

He stressed Syria’s categorical rejection of the unilateral coercive measures imposed on it by the United States and some Western countries, in clear and flagrant violation of the provisions of Article 11 of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, reiterating Syria calls on those countries to stop this immoral and inhumane policy.

Hamda Mustafa