Ambassador Attiya: The West has turned OPCW into a field for settling its aggressive geopolitical scores with countries that do not follow its policies
Attiya pointed out that the United States and some Western countries have turned the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons into an arena for settling their aggressive, colonialist geopolitical scores, with some countries that do not identify with their policies. The independence of this Organization has become at stake, and the OPCW is no longer qualified to achieve its purpose in light of this reality. It is difficult to restore its credibility and carry out the tasks assigned to it, explaining that as a result of political interference by Western countries, the Organization is currently facing a credibility crisis, disagreements, polarization, and divisions within.
Syria’s permanent representative to the Organization pointed out that Western countries are continuing their approach by adopting politicized decisions targeting states and parties to the Convention by resorting to voting, and the best example of this is the politicized and controversial resolution that was adopted through voting in the 28th session against Syria. He pointed out that this decision does not reflect the will of the states and parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, but rather the will of only 69 countries out of 193 states, which contradicts the provisions of the convention and the mandate of the Organization. This decision was built on fabrications, lies, deception, misinformation, and false and baseless accusations and it represented another dangerous step that leads the OPCW to lose its credibility, and work to achieve goals that conflict with its goals.
Attiya explained that the result of voting on the aforementioned draft resolution indicates that more than two-thirds of the states parties to the Convention reject this destructive Western approach and behavior, pointing out that what is happening in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is part of a pattern of deception operations with geopolitical motives that were carried out three decades ago. In Iraq and other places of the world, there is much evidence.
Attiya pointed out that Syria has implemented all of its obligations under the process of joining the ban agreement, and has exerted its utmost effort and worked with all commitment, credibility and transparency during the past 11 years. Syria has cooperated fully with the technical secretariat of the Organization and its teams and provided all the facilities required for the success of its missions.
Attiya expressed Syria’s deep concern about the targeting of Russia by Western countries, especially the recent attempts to make false accusations against Moscow of using toxic chemicals in Ukraine, as Western countries are using the scenario they followed against Syria, in the way of targeting and escalation.
Attiya stressed that chemical terrorism constitutes one of the grave dangers that threaten international peace and security, expressing his regret that the technical secretariat of the Organization has ignored all international reports issued by the United Nations, and those submitted by committees and specialized teams to the Security Council. He explained that all of these reports confirm that the groups enlisted on the Security Council’s lists as terrorist entities, such as the Organization of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham ( formerly Al-Nusra Front) and the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) have been able to possess advanced weapons and air systems, including chemical weapons that have been used by terrorists on multiple occasions.