REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL PROGRESS IN THE ELIMINATION OF THE SYRIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROGRAMME / EC-95/DG.19

REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL PROGRESS IN THE ELIMINATION OF THE SYRIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROGRAMME 1. In accordance with subparagraph 2(f) of the decision by the Executive Council (hereinafter “the Council”) at its Thirty-Third Meeting (EC-M-33/DEC.1, dated 27 September 2013), the Technical Secretariat (hereinafter “the Secretariat”) is to report to the Council on a monthly basis regarding the implementation of that decision. In accordance with paragraph 12 of United Nations Security Council resolution 2118 (2013), the report by the Secretariat is also to be submitted to the Security Council through the Secretary-General. 2. The Council, at its Thirty-Fourth Meeting, adopted a decision entitled “Detailed Requirements for the Destruction of Syrian Chemical Weapons and Syrian Chemical Weapons Production Facilities” (EC-M-34/DEC.1, dated 15 November 2013). In paragraph 22 of that decision, the Council decided that the Secretariat should report on its implementation “in conjunction with its reporting required by subparagraph 2(f) of Council decision EC-M-33/DEC.1”. 3. The Council, at its Forty-Eighth Meeting, adopted a decision entitled “Reports of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission in Syria” (EC-M-48/DEC.1, dated 4 February 2015), noting the Director-General’s intent to include reports of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission in Syria (FFM), along with information on the Council’s discussion thereof, as part of the monthly reporting pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolution 2118 (2013). Similarly, the Council, at its Eighty-First Session, adopted a decision entitled “Report by the Director-General Regarding the Declaration and Related Submissions by the Syrian Arab Republic” (EC-81/DEC.4, dated 23 March 2016), noting the Director-General’s intent to provide information on the implementation of that decision. 4. The Council, at its Eighty-Third Session, adopted a decision entitled “OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism Reports on Chemical Weapons Use in the Syrian Arab Republic” (EC-83/DEC.5, dated 11 November 2016). In subparagraph 12(a) of that decision, the Council decided that the Director-General shall “regularly inform the Council on the implementation of this decision and incorporate information regarding the implementation of this decision into his monthly reporting to the United Nations Security Council, through the United Nations Secretary-General, regarding EC-M-33/DEC.1”. EC-95/DG.19 page 2 5. This, the eighty-fourth monthly report, is therefore submitted in accordance with the aforementioned Council decisions and includes information relevant to the period from 24 August to 23 September 2020. Impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) 6. As previously reported, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the Secretariat’s ability to deploy to the Syrian Arab Republic. The Secretariat is maintaining its readiness for deployments, which are being conducted subject to the evolution of the pandemic. The travel restrictions notwithstanding, the Secretariat is continuing its mandated activities related to the Syrian chemical weapons programme and its engagement with the Syrian Arab Republic in this regard. Progress achieved by the Syrian Arab Republic in meeting the requirements of Executive Council decisions EC-M-33/DEC.1 and EC-M-34/DEC.1 7. Progress by the Syrian Arab Republic is as follows: (a) As stated in previous reports, the Secretariat has verified the destruction of all 27 chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) declared by the Syrian Arab Republic. (b) On 15 September 2020, the Syrian Arab Republic submitted to the Council its eighty-second monthly report (EC-95/P/NAT.3, dated 15 September 2020) regarding activities on its territory related to the destruction of its chemical weapons and CWPFs, as required by paragraph 19 of EC-M-34/DEC.1. Progress in the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons by States Parties hosting destruction activities 8. As stated in previous reports, all of the chemicals declared by the Syrian Arab Republic that were removed from its territory in 2014 have been destroyed. Activities carried out by the Technical Secretariat with respect to Executive Council decisions EC-81/DEC.4 and EC-83/DEC.5 9. The Declaration Assessment Team (DAT) continues its efforts to clarify all outstanding issues regarding the initial declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic in accordance with paragraph 3 of Council decision EC-81/DEC.4, paragraph 6 of Council decision EC-83/DEC.5, and paragraph 5 of Council decision EC-94/DEC.2 entitled “Addressing the Possession and Use of Chemical Weapons by the Syrian Arab Republic” (dated 9 July 2020). 10. As previously reported, the Director-General sent a letter dated 21 April 2020 to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic, H.E. Dr Faisal Mekdad, with a document containing an updated status of outstanding issues and the proposed plan of action for their resolution, as discussed in October 2019 during the latest round of consultations. In the letter, the Director-General requested the Syrian National Authority to submit further information in accordance with this plan at the earliest opportunity. The Director-General and Deputy Minister Mekdad have since exchanged further letters regarding this request. 1 In a letter dated 25 August 2020, 1 Letters from Deputy Minister Mekdad to the Director-General dated 16 June 2020 and 25 August 2020, and letter from the Director-General to Deputy Minister Mekdad dated 26 June 2020. EC-95/DG.19 page 3 the Syrian National Authority provided information concerning eight of the 22 outstanding issues, including two amendments to its initial declaration. 11. As agreed with the Syrian National Authority, the DAT has been collecting samples during its deployments whenever the Syrian Arab Republic has not been in a position to substantiate its declaration-related submissions. During its deployment in October 2019, the DAT collected samples with a view to resolving one of the 22 outstanding declaration-related issues. Before the samples could be sent to designated laboratories for analysis, deterioration of the samples was observed at the OPCW Laboratory. The Director-General informed the Syrian National Authority and provided information on the measures taken by the Secretariat to document and preserve the integrity of the seals applied to these samples. Additionally, a representative of the Syrian Arab Republic visited the OPCW Laboratory, where he observed the integrity of the seals and received related documentation. The Director-General informed the Council accordingly at its Ninety-Fourth Session, and a technical meeting was subsequently convened with experts of the Syrian National Authority to agree on next steps. 12. The DAT is currently on deployment in the Syrian Arab Republic. The outstanding issues will be addressed, as will the information that the Syrian National Authority recently provided to the Secretariat. The Syrian National Authority is expected to provide requested documentation that remains necessary to resolve certain issues, and the DAT will collect samples to replace those that deteriorated. The outcome of this deployment will be shared with the Council in due course. 13. In accordance with paragraph 10 of Council decision EC-83/DEC.5, the Secretariat is continuing to assess conditions for the conduct of inspections at the sites identified by the OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism in its third and fourth reports. The Secretariat will do so while also taking into account the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. 14. Pursuant to paragraph 11 of Council decision EC-83/DEC.5, the Secretariat is planning to conduct two rounds of inspections of the Barzah and Jamrayah facilities of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) in 2020. The conduct of further inspections of these facilities will be subject to the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. 15. With regard to the finding of a Schedule 2.B.04 chemical that was detected during the third round of inspections at the Barzah facilities of the SSRC, exchanges of correspondence between the Secretariat and the Syrian authorities to resolve this issue have continued. The Syrian Arab Republic has yet to provide sufficient technical information or explanations that would enable the Secretariat to close this issue.2 The Secretariat will continue its engagement with the Syrian Arab Republic in this regard and will inform the Council in due course. 2 Note verbale dated 7 November 2019 sent by the Syrian Arab Republic to the Secretariat; note verbale dated 20 February 2020 sent by the Secretariat to the Syrian Arab Republic; note verbale dated 12 March 2020 sent by the Syrian Arab Republic to the Secretariat; note verbale dated 21 April 2020 sent by the Secretariat to the Syrian Arab Republic; note verbale dated 12 May 2020 sent by the Syrian Arab Republic to the Secretariat; and note verbale dated 19 June 2020 sent by the Secretariat to the Syrian Arab Republic. EC-95/DG.19 page 4 Other activities carried out by the Technical Secretariat with respect to the Syrian Arab Republic 16. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) continues to provide support to the OPCW Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic in accordance with the Tripartite Agreement concluded between the OPCW, UNOPS, and the Syrian Arab Republic. This agreement facilitates the Secretariat’s mandated activities in the Syrian Arab Republic pertaining to the full elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons programme, and to any subsequent decision or resolution of the relevant organs of the OPCW or the United Nations, as well as any bilateral agreements concluded between the OPCW and the Syrian Arab Republic. The current extension of the Tripartite Agreement is valid through 30 September 2020. A meeting of the OPCW, UNOPS, and the Syrian Arab Republic took place remotely on 26 and 27 August 2020, during which the parties agreed to a six-month extension of the agreement. The three parties are presently working to finalise the extension. 17. As at the cut-off date of this report, one OPCW staff member was deployed as part of the OPCW Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic. Activities carried out with respect to the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission in Syria 18. Guided by Council decisions EC-M-48/DEC.1 and EC-M-50/DEC.1 (dated 4 February 2015 and 23 November 2015, respectively), as well as by United Nations Security Council resolution 2209 (2015), the FFM continues to study all available information relating to allegations of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic. 19. Accordingly, the FFM is continuing its engagement with the Syrian Arab Republic and other States Parties with regard to a variety of incidents, as reported by the Secretariat in a presentation provided to States Parties on 2 July 2020. Additionally, the FFM is continuing to analyse information collected from its most recent deployments. The conduct of further FFM deployments will be subject to the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. The FFM will report to the Council on the results of its work in due course. Activities carried out by the Technical Secretariat with respect to decision C-SS-4/DEC.3 of the Conference of the States Parties at its Fourth Special Session related to the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic 20. Decision C-SS-4/DEC.3 (dated 27 June 2018), adopted by the Conference of the States Parties (hereinafter “the Conference”) at its Fourth Special Session, addresses, inter alia, the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic. 21. Pursuant to paragraph 10 of C-SS-4/DEC.3, the Secretariat established the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) to identify the perpetrators of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic by identifying and reporting on all information potentially relevant to the origin of those chemical weapons in those instances in which the FFM determines or has determined that use or likely use occurred, and cases for which the OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism did not issue a report. EC-95/DG.19 page 5 22. Following its first report issued on 8 April 2020,3 the IIT is continuing its investigations, subject to the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, and will issue further reports in due course. Activities carried out by the Technical Secretariat with respect to Executive Council decision EC-94/DEC.2 23. Pursuant to paragraph 5 of decision EC-94/DEC.2, and as previously reported, the Director-General sent a letter to Deputy Minister Mekdad on 20 July 2020 to outline the obligations of the Syrian Arab Republic under the decision, and to indicate the readiness of the Secretariat to assist the Syrian Arab Republic in the fulfilment of these obligations within the required period of 90 days. As at the date of this report, the Secretariat has not received a reply from the Syrian Arab Republic. 24. Pursuant to paragraph 6 of EC-94/DEC.2, the Director-General will report to the Council and all States Parties, within 100 days of this decision, on whether the Syrian Arab Republic has completed all of the measures contained in paragraph 5 of the decision. 25. With regard to the inspections mandated by paragraph 8 of the decision, the Director-General in his letter informed Deputy Minister Mekdad that the Secretariat is monitoring the current situation and will inform the Syrian Arab Republic when it is prepared to deploy for this purpose. The conduct of these inspections will be subject to the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. 26. In accordance with paragraph 12 of EC-94/DEC.2, the Secretariat will transmit reports on the implementation of this decision to the United Nations Security Council and United Nations General Assembly through the United Nations Secretary-General. Supplementary resources 27. The Trust Fund for Syria Missions was established in November 2015 to support the FFM and other remaining activities, which presently include the work of the DAT and IIT, as well as the biannual inspections of the SSRC and the two sites identified in paragraph 8 of EC-94/DEC.2. As at the cut-off date of this report, total contributions to this fund stood at EUR 33.3 million. Contribution agreements had been concluded with Australia, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, and the European Union. Conclusion 28. The future activities of the OPCW Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic will focus on the work of the FFM; the implementation of Council decisions EC-83/DEC.5 and EC-81/DEC.4, including declaration-related issues; inspections at the Barzah and Jamrayah sites of the SSRC; the implementation of Conference decision C-SS-4/DEC.3; and the implementation of Council decision EC-94/DEC.2.