OPCW Technical Secretariat badly needs to maintain its neutrality, independence and objectivity
THE HAGUE, (ST)- The Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) badly needs to change its approach and to maintain its neutrality, independence and objectivity so that the future reports of its teams will be trusted, Syria’s Permanent Representative to OPCW Bassam Sabbagh has underscored.
In a speech he delivered at the 93rd session of the OPCW Executive Council, currently held in the Hague, Sabbagh said that leaks relating to the report of the fact-finding mission on the alleged chemical incident in Syria’s Douma city continue to flow, pointing out that internal documents and the letters exchanged among the secretariat’s staff have been published to reveal that facts and information about this incident have been distorted and manipulated.
He added that the information revealed during the Security Council meeting on January 20 this year should alert all the OPCW’s member states to the danger resulting from the serious distortion of the Douma report and from the external pressure put on members of the fact-finding mission.
Sabbagh went on to say that what the technical secretariat has done to face such a challenge to its work was not up to the required level. He made it clear that in its briefing on the 6th of last February concerning the internal investigation into violating the organization’s secrecy, the Secretariat failed to respond to the content of those leaks and by doing so it has exposed a dilemma within the organization on whether secrecy is more important than revealing the truth.
Sabbagh reaffirmed Syria’s condemnation of the use of chemical weapons at any place or under any circumstances, pointing out that Syria has repeatedly warned against the growth of international terrorism and the danger of the terrorist organization’s access to toxic materials which they can use as a weapon.
He expressed rejection of the continuous attempts by some western states to accuse Syria of using chemical weapons while deliberately ignoring the information submitted by the Syrian government to the United Nations on preparations by terrorists and their supporters to stage chemical attacks in order to accuse the Syrian Army of such attacks aiming to impede its progress in the fight against terrorism. In this regard, Sabbagh referred to the important information about delivering toxic chemicals from Turkey to the Turkish-backed terrorist groups with the purpose of turning them into ammunition in the headquarters of the “White Helmets” terrorist group under the supervision Turkish and American intelligence agents.
The Syrian diplomat underlined that Syria will continue to cooperate with the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat, reiterating the need that the Secretariat should take into consideration the security situation in any Syrian areas when sending its teams to Syria and this necessitates obtaining the approval of the Syrian authorities in order to guarantee the safety of the mission.
Hamda Mustafa