Ninety-six percent of Syria’s declared chemical weapons destroyed (UN-OPCW mission chief)

 UN, 4 September 2014 – The Special Coordinator for the Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations (OPCW-UN) told the Security Council today that 96 percent of Syria’s declared stockpile, including the most dangerous chemicals, had been destroyed and preparation were underway to destroy the remaining 12 production facilities.

“This is a chemical weapons disarmament process, it’s been unique,” said Sigrid Kaag after her final briefing to the Security Council in her capacity as the head of the joint mission dealing with Syria’s chemical weapons, which is winding up its work at the end of September.

“At the same time, we reiterate our strong hope that if this is achieved, that conditions for peace and security and the political process will be centre stage for the benefit of the people of Syria and that of the region, particularly in these days of profound crisis.”

Ms. Kaag told a press conference at UN Headquarters following her closed-door briefing to the Council that the mission had overseen that destruction of 100 percent of “priority chemicals” and 96 percent of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile, but the good offices of the UN Secretary-General on this issue, discussions on monitoring verification, and accurate reporting to the Council will be continued.

She said starting October 1, the OPCW will be in the lead – in partnership with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNPOS) to begin destroying the 12 remaining chemical weapons facilities – seven so-called hangars and five tunnels.

“All in all, the joint mission has achieved its objectives, has assisted the authorities in Damascus to achieve their goals as a State party, but the residual activities that remain of course are also of importance and interest to the [Security] Council so they have been asked to be briefed on a regular basis as before for a foreseeable period,” Ms. Kaag said.

The Security Council President for September, United States Ambassador Samantha Power, told reporters after the meeting, the Council’s interest in the issue of ridding Syria of chemical weapons will not abate as “Council members noted that the elimination effort is not complete.”

Ms. Power also said some Security Council members raised their concerns about the Syrian Government’s use of chlorine gas, as reported by the UN Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry last month.

In response to a question, the Security Council President said Security Council resolution 2118 (2013) has not yet been fulfilled, “and it won’t be fulfilled until this Council has confidence that the terms of the chemical weapons convention has been met.” In that resolution, the Council endorsed the expeditious destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme, with inspections to begin by 1 October, and agreed that in the event of non-compliance, it would impose “Chapter VII” measures.

The removal of the most critical material for destruction began in early January, in line with an agreement brokered by Russia and the United States, by which Syria renounced its chemical weapons material and joined 1992 Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons.
[un.org]
4/9/14
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Related:

• Syria's worst chemical arms neutralized: Pentagon

• Progress made on destruction of chemical weapons outside Syria (UNSC president)

• All toxic chemicals removed from Syria now at destruction sites (OPCW)

• US ship begins neutralizing Syrian chemical weapons 

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• Ευάγγελος Βενιζέλος: Απόλυτη προστασία του μεσογειακού θαλάσσιου περιβάλλοντος, σε σχέση με την επιχείρηση καταστροφής του οπλοστασίου χημικών όπλων της Συρίας.

• Απάντηση ΥΦΥΠΕΞ Κ. Γεροντόπουλου σε επίκαιρη ερώτηση του βουλευτή κ. Νότη Μαριά (ΑΝ.ΕΛ) για την καταστροφή των χημικών της Συρίας. -Ελληνικό ΥΠΕΞ

Progress made on destruction of chemical weapons outside Syria (UNSC president)

There has been "good progress" on the destruction of Syria's chemical weapon materials outside the country, UK's Permanent Representative to the UN Mark Lyall Grant, who holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for August, told reporters here on Tuesday.

Lyall Grant made the remarks after a briefing to the 15-member Council behind closed doors via video teleconference by Sigrid Kaag, special coordinator for the United Nations - Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Joint Mission.

Kaag reported to the Council on the work that has been taking place to destroy Syria's chemical weapons, which have now been completely taken out of that country.

"The United States briefed that they had completed about 60 percent now of treatment of Priority A chemicals on the ship, the Cape Ray and once that treatment is completed, then the effluent will be sent to Germany and Finland for final disposal," said Lyall Grant.

The UK would complete its destruction of the B precursors and hydrochloric acids in the course of this week. So, good progress on the destruction of chemicals outside Syria, he added.

The Security Council was also told about a meeting in Beirut on Tuesday to work out the modalities for the destruction of the 12 remaining declared production facilities that would take about six months to complete, according to the president.

Lyall Grant added that there would be a further visit by the OPCW team in September to the Syrian capital, Damascus.

On the future of the Joint Mission, he said, there was a "very clear majority view" that Syria remained a special case and the outstanding issues were such that the mission should continue for the time being.

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The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution in September last year to rid the war-torn Middle East country of its chemical weapons. Under the resolution, the OPCW was mandated to oversee the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons materials.

The removal of the most critical material for destruction began in early January. As per the decisions taken by the Security Council and the OPCW Executive Council, the full arsenal of Syria's chemical weapons should be destroyed by June 30, 2014.

On June 23, the Joint Mission announced that Syria has removed all of its declared chemical arsenal from its territory.
Sources: Xinhua -globaltimes.cn
6/8/14
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Related:

• All toxic chemicals removed from Syria now at destruction sites (OPCW)

• US ship begins neutralizing Syrian chemical weapons 

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• Ευάγγελος Βενιζέλος: Απόλυτη προστασία του μεσογειακού θαλάσσιου περιβάλλοντος, σε σχέση με την επιχείρηση καταστροφής του οπλοστασίου χημικών όπλων της Συρίας.

• Απάντηση ΥΦΥΠΕΞ Κ. Γεροντόπουλου σε επίκαιρη ερώτηση του βουλευτή κ. Νότη Μαριά (ΑΝ.ΕΛ) για την καταστροφή των χημικών της Συρίας. -Ελληνικό ΥΠΕΞ

First chemical materials removed from Syria by ship

DAMASCUS: A first shipment of material has been removed from Syria under a deal to rid the country of its chemical weapons arsenal, the joint mission overseeing the disarmament said Tuesday.

"A first quantity of priority chemical materials was moved from two sites to the port of Latakia for verification and was then loaded onto a Danish commercial vessel today," the mission said in a statement.

It added that the boat had sailed for international waters.

"This movement initiates the process of transfer of chemical materials from the Syrian Arab Republic to locations outside its territory for destruction," the statement said.

Maritime security is being provided by naval escorts from China, Denmark, Norway and Russia, it added.

The removal had been scheduled to take place before December 31, but Syria's worsening civil war, logistical problems and bad weather had delayed the operation.

The year-end deadline for the removal of key weapons components was the first major milestone under a UN Security Council-backed deal arranged by Russia and the United States that aims to eliminate all of Syria's chemical arms by the middle of this year.

Under the plan, the chemicals will be taken from Latakia to a port in Italy where they will be transferred to a US Navy vessel fitted with equipment to destroy them at sea.

- AFP/xq
channelnewsasia.com
7/1/14
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Related:

• Danish, Norwegian ships leave Limassol port for Syrian seacoast

• Nordic ships on call for Syria chemical shipment...

• Vessels for Syrian Chemical Arms Removal Dock in Cyprus

• OPCW Executive Council adopts plan for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme in the first half of 2014

• 

  MV Cape Ray

  United States offers to destroy Syria’s Priority Chemicals./Σε πλοίο των ΗΠΑ θα καταστραφουν κάποια χημικά

 

Danish, Norwegian ships leave Limassol port for Syrian seacoast

BEIRUT, January 03, /ITAR-TASS/. Two Danish and two Norwegian ships have left the Port of Limassol and made the way towards international waters near the Syrian seacoast.

Two dry-cargo ships and two coastguard vessels will be in international waters to enter the Syrian port of Latakia at any moment in order to load containers with chemical weapons, Norwegian Defence Ministry spokesman Lars Magne Hovtun said on Friday.
Russian and Chinese military ships - the Pyotr Veliky heavy nuclear missile cruiser and China’s Yan Cheng will ensure security while containers are transported to one of the Italian ports where they will be reloaded to the U.S. Cape Ray for further elimination.

Head of the OPCW-U.N. Joint Mission Sigrid Kaag said a certain delay did not prevent the international community from conducting the operation.

Chemical weapons should be withdrawn from Syria till February 5, 2014. The most dangerous agents will be eliminated outside Syria not later than March 31, 2014. The others will be eliminated by June 30, 2014.

itar-tass.com

3/1/14

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Related:

• Nordic ships on call for Syria chemical shipment...

• Vessels for Syrian Chemical Arms Removal Dock in Cyprus

• OPCW Executive Council adopts plan for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme in the first half of 2014

• United States offers to destroy Syria’s Priority Chemicals./Σε πλοίο των ΗΠΑ θα καταστραφουν κάποια χημικά

OPCW Executive Council adopts plan for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme in the first half of 2014

• Most critical chemicals to leave Syria by end of 2013 
• Over 60 percent of unfilled warheads and bombs destroyed
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The OPCW Executive Council (EC) approved today a detailed plan of destruction to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile. In the plan, Syrian chemical weapons will be transported for destruction outside its territory to ensure their destruction in the “safest and soonest manner”, and no later than June 30th 2014. 
“I welcome the decision reached today by the Executive Council,” said OPCW Director General Ahmet Ümzücü.
“The plan provides a clear roadmap. It sets ambitious milestones to be met by the Government of Syria. This next phase will be the most challenging and its timely execution will require the existence of a secure environment for the verification and transport of chemical weapons. Continuing international support and assistance for this endeavour will remain crucial.”
“I wish to express my sincere appreciation for all the States who have supported this mission – through both financial and in-kind contributions,” said OPCW-UN Joint Mission Special Coordinator Sigrid Kaag addressing the Council.  “I am currently reaching out to others to consider joining this international effort, which is key to the successful implementation of the Executive Council’s decision”
The EC’s decision distinguishes between destruction actions “in the Syrian Arab Republic” and destruction activities “outside the territory” of Syria and stipulates intermediate destruction milestones leading to the complete elimination of its chemical weapons programme. 
The plan envisions the removal of all declared chemical substances and precursors, except for isopropanol, from Syria no later than 5 February 2014 with the “most critical” chemicals to be transported out of Syria by 31 December 2013.  Syrian declared chemical weapons facilities, will undergo sequenced destruction from 15 December 2013 to 15 March 2014 according to a risk-based criterion.
With respect to activities outside Syria, the Executive Council decided that the destruction of the priority chemical weapons will be completed by 31 March 2014 and all other declared chemical materials by 30 June 2014.
The OPCW Director-General will present a specific plan for the destruction of Syrian chemicals outside the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic which includes provisions for ensuring clear responsibility at each stage for all chemicals and takes into account all relevant consideration, including target dates, requirements for safety and security, and overall costs. The Director-General is also requested to establish a special Trust Fund for this purpose and to keep the Executive Council informed on progress and if target dates will be modified.
Reporting on the progress on the ground, the Director-General informed the Executive Council that the OPCW-UN Joint Mission was able to verify the destruction of over 60 percent of Syria’s declared unfilled munitions to date.  As per the Executive Council decision, the Syrian Arab Republic has committed to destroy all unfilled munitions, composed of warheads and bombs, by 31 January 2014.
For more information please contact:

• Sausan Ghosheh
  OPCW-UN Joint Mission Spokesperson
  E-mail ghosheh@un.org
  Phone: +963-95-850-3074.   

• Christian Chartier
  OPCW Media and Public Affairs / Spokesperson
  E-mail: christian.chartier@opcw.org
  Tel: +31 (0) 70 416 3739
  Mobile: +31 (0) 6 5356 5894

• United Nations Spokesperson’s Office
  Phone: 1- 212- 963-7160

opcw.org
15/11/13