Thank you, Madame President.
I thank the High Representative Izumi Nakamitsu for her briefing.
Progress in this file is indeed hard to achieve. The eighty-fifth monthly report of the Director-General of the OPCW states yet again that outstanding issues relating to Syria´s chemical weapons declaration remain unresolved. The OPCW Secretariat’s assessment is clear: the declaration submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic still cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, the respective OPCW Executive Council decision and United Nations Security Council resolution 2118.
As we have stressed before: this is not just a technical or theoretical issue, but indicates that Syria has not declared and destroyed all of its chemical weapons and their production facilities and continues to pose threat to international peace and security.
Moreover, we learn from the Director-General monthly report that the Syrian Arab Republic failed to complete within the set timeline the measures contained in the Executive Council decision of 9th of July. We understand that there was also no effort whatsoever to cooperate with the OPCW or even respond to their offer for assistance.
The complete lack of cooperation with the OPCW must have consequences and it will be for the OPCW Conference of State Parties to address these issues and take appropriate action when it will convene at the end of this month.
As to the work of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission, we note the recent reports regarding incidents in Saraqib and Aleppo. We recognize the professional and thorough investigations done by the FFM and their evidence-based results.
Madame President, we remain highly concerned about impunity. It is imperative to ensure accountability and end impunity for each and every use of the chemical weapons. We owe it to the victims to bring the perpetrators of these abhorrent crimes to justice. But accountability is equally instrumental for sustaining the global norm against the use of chemical weapons.
Let’s face it, the global prohibition of chemical weapons is under threat. We have witnessed in recent years the appalling use of chemical weapons in several places. On the 6th of October, the OPCW confirmed that the substance that was used to poison Russian opposition leader Alexander Navalny was a chemical nerve agent of the Novichok group. We reiterate our call on Russia to investigate the crime thoroughly and in full transparency bearing in mind Russia’s commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
International community should not tolerate any use of chemical weapons and the threats they bring to international peace and security. In this regard, Estonia supports the EU autonomous sanctions regime specifically designed to fight the proliferation of chemical weapons. We hope the Security Council does not remain silent and addresses the non-compliance of its resolutions.
I thank you, Madame President
