76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
UN Security Council meeting on Syria Chemical Weapons
Statement by DPR Andre Lipand
October 4, New York
Thank you, Mister President.
I thank the High Representative Izumi Nakamitsu for her briefing. I very much appreciate your persistent calls for the Security Council unity to uphold the norm against chemical weapons. Estonia would reiterate that the identification, and in particular the accountability of those responsible for the use of chemical weapons is imperative. Impunity is not an option. It must be ensured that those individuals who ordered, enabled, or carried out chemical weapons attacks in Syria since 2013 will face a reckoning and their victims will see justice done. Without accountability, there is no credible prospect for lasting peace in Syria.
Regarding the OPCW Director-General’s monthly report, Estonia regrets to see that Syrian cooperation with the OPCW continues to deteriorate. The Security Council resolution 2118 paragraph 7 stipulates that the Syrian Arab Republic shall cooperate fully with the OPCW, including by accepting personnel designated by the OPCW and providing the respective personnel access to and the right to inspect sites in order to fulfil their mandate.
It is clear that the Syrian regime is not complying with this resolution and their international obligations by refusing to issue the entry visa for a member of the Declaration Assessment Team. As a result, the twenty-fifth round of consultations are still on hold and there has been no progress in clarifying the outstanding issues of the Syrian declaration. This lack of progress continues to pose a threat to the Syrian people and to international peace and security.
In addition to the consultations, we are also eager to see developments with regard to the planned meeting between Director-General Arias and Mr Mekdad.
Estonia further notes with concern that several OPCW’s requests for information – with regard to the former chemical weapons facility, the moving of two chlorine cylinders, the detection of a Schedule 2.B chemical at the Barzah facility – remain persistently unanswered by the Syrian authorities. Again, resolution 2118 and Syria’s responsibilities under the Chemical Weapons Convention are not being respected.
Mister President, to conclude, allow me to reiterate our full trust in the independent, impartial and professional work of the OPCW Technical Secretariat, its investigative bodies and in the credibility of their reports. We call on the Syrian regime to cooperate fully with the OPCW, comply with the Security Council resolutions and international law.
I thank you.
