Statement delivered by H.E. Amar Bendjama, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the UN, on behalf of the A3+, at the Security Council Briefing on 'The situation in the Middle East' - Syria Chemical Weapons
Madam President,
I have the honour to deliver this joint statement on behalf of the A3+, namely: Guyana, Sierra Leone, Somalia and my own country, Algeria.
We thank the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs for the briefing. We welcome the participation in this meeting of the representatives of the Syrian Arab Republic and Türkiye.
Madam President,
We reaffirm our unwavering commitment in favor of achieving all the objectives of the Chemical Weapons Convention and underline the importance for all States parties to continue to ensure the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of the Convention. While bearing in mind that the threat or the use of chemical weapons remains relevant in the international arena, the A3+ reiterates its firm belief that the use of chemical weapons anywhere, by anyone, and under any circumstances must be condemned.
Madam President,
We take note of the most recent monthly reports which highlighted the progress achieved in the implementation of Security Council resolution 2118 (2013) and the relevant decisions of the OPCW policy making organs in relation to the elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons programme.
The A3+ acknowledges the recent engagement between the OPCW and the Syrian Arab Republic, as highlighted in the recent reports. In this regard, we took note of the Director-General’s visit to Damascus with a high-level delegation, during which he met with the new Syrian President and the Foreign Minister.
Our Group welcomes the designation by the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of a new focal point for chemical weapons matters, which constitutes an additional positive step toward facilitating the cooperation between the Syrian authorities and the OPCW.
The A3+ acknowledges that Qatar, after close consultation and coordination with the Director-General, has agreed to represent the interests of the Syrian Arab Republic before the OPCW until further notice. We commend Qatar’s instrumental role as a revitalizing channel for engagement and opening further prospects for cooperation.
We also welcome the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic in the 108th session of the OPCW Executive Council held in the Hague from 4-7 March 2025.
We believe that these recent and positive developments can set the stage for the OPCW and Syrian authorities to work together in an open, transparent and constructive manner towards definitively closing the Syrian chemical weapons file and achieving the Convention’s core objectives.
In this regard, the A3+ calls upon all actors to respect and uphold Syria’s unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Madam President,
The A3+ acknowledges the challenges faced by the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT) in addressing all outstanding issues. We welcome the readiness of the new Syrian leadership to inaugurate a new chapter of open and transparent relation with the OPCW with a view to settling the unresolved issues involving quantities of potentially undeclared or unverified chemical warfare agents and chemical munitions, which remains a matter of concern.
The A3+ welcomes the efforts of the OPCW to maintain engagement with Syrian authorities and to foster conditions for the eventual resumption of the OPCW Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic. We also welcome the OPCW Secretariat’s nine-point action plan for the Syrian Arab Republic.
The A3+ notes the Secretariat's view that the current political situation in the Syrian Arab Republic presents an opportunity to obtain clarifications on the full extent and scope of the Syrian chemical weapons programme and to ensure compliance with the Convention.
We encourage continued dialogue between the OPCW and the Syrian Arab Republic on all outstanding issues and look forward for greater cooperation between the OPCW and the Syrian Arab Republic to resolve outstanding issues and to permanently close this file.
I thank you.
