Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Chumakov at a UNSC Briefing on the Syrian Chemical File
Mr. President,
We would like to thank Mr. Adedeji Ebo, Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, for his briefing.
We have closely studied the latest report by OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias. We note the efforts undertaken by the Technical Secretariat in fostering cooperation with the Syrian transitional government, these efforts are geared towards normalizing the situation around Syria's “chemical dossier.” We express our gratitude for work along these lines undertaken by Qatar, which was temporarily representing Damascus' interests at the Organization. We welcome the appointment of Syria's new Permanent Representative to the OPCW, as well as the establishment of the Syrian National Authority responsible for interaction with the OPCW.
Russia has consistently advocated and continues to advocate for the prompt resolution of outstanding issues having to do with Syria's initial declaration under the CWC, which would facilitate the closure of the Syrian chemical file. All this could have been done far sooner if the OPCW Technical Secretariat had acted in good faith, as stipulated by its mandate and the provisions of the Convention. Alas, over the course of more than ten years, this body has essentially politicized the matter and dragged out the process, keeping it “afloat” as a lever to exert pressure on the Syrian authorities. To that end, the Secretariat resorted to violations of the methodology for collecting evidence provided for by the CWC, fabrication of evidence, conjectures that fly in the face of basic laws of science and common human logic, and false testimony from phony “eyewitnesses.”
All these facts, which are long known to the international community, generate ever-greater skepticism regarding the ill-conceived hasty decision of the OPCW Executive Council to expeditiously detect and eliminate certain “Syrian chemical weapons stockpiles.” Such measures have no slightest hint of respect for the provisions of the CWC and its annexes. We deem it unacceptable to set dangerous precedents that are fraught with the irrevocable encroachment upon the provisions of the Convention vis-à-vis the modalities for the liquidation of chemical weapons.
It is the inability of the OPCW to perform its tasks efficiently, as well as the principled unwillingness of the Technical Secretariat's leadership to correct its methodology of work that continue to be a key problem obstructing the implementation of the objectives of UNSC Resolution 2118. As long as these problems remain unresolved, nothing will help – neither the willingness of the transitional Syrian government to constructively engage with the OPCW nor the desire of the international community to turn this page of Syrian history as quickly as possible.
The latest report by OPCW Director-General Mr. Arias merely corroborates this conclusion. The report still has the following wording – “the transfer of power to new authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic … presents an opportunity for the Organisation to obtain clarifications on the full extent and scope of the Syrian chemical weapons programme.” This language is completely at odds with the real situation on the ground, let alone the fact that it goes beyond the purview of OPCW's mandate, which is purely technical in nature. One should not disregard the objective reality: over the years of conflict, a significant part of Syrian territory has come under the control of various armed groups over and over again. Many military and industrially significant facilities have been either destroyed or seriously damaged as a result of massive air strikes carried out by both the Western coalition and Israel.
Against this backdrop, certain statements by the Technical Secretariat seem to be completely divorced from reality, namely those about properly collecting new samples, discovering documents at sites, or demanding that the Syrian authorities provide certain “information and documents.” What also appears dubious is the quality of “new” materials obtained under such circumstances. Clearly, in these conditions there can be no talk of either the preservation of material evidence or of its authenticity and a possibility of objective analysis thereof. Nor can anyone speak of the comprehensive picture that could be established during the inspections. Ignoring the above-mentioned facts, the Technical Secretariat continues to assert that there is a need for inspections at another 100 sites. All this – alongside the decision regarding the expedited elimination of the discovered chemical weapons – leads us to the conclusion that such plans are merely attempts to pin the responsibility for the crimes on the former Syrian authorities, rather than a desire to establish the truth. We are convinced that Security Council members must not condone such an approach.
In this regard, we once again call on the OPCW Technical Secretariat to act impartially and professionally and to adhere to a depoliticized approach. In practice, this means that there should be no predetermined conclusions that are not underpinned by irrefutable evidence. The efforts to close the Syrian chemical file need to be strictly in line with the provisions of the CWC.
We also urge our UNSC colleagues to develop approaches to addressing this issue with due regard to the specificities of the domestic political situation in Syria, which is currently facing a host of existential problems, including the need to preserve the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and unity of the Syrian Arab Republic.
Thank you.
