REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL PROGRESS IN THE ELIMINATION OF THE SYRIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROGRAMME Background 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-94/DG.12 page 2 5. This, the eighty-first monthly report, is therefore submitted in accordance with the aforementioned Council decisions and includes information relevant to the period from 24 May to 23 June 2020. Impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) 6. On 13 March 2020, the Secretariat informed the Syrian Arab Republic through a note verbale that, in view of the recent events related to the COVID-19 outbreak, and in line with measures announced by the Dutch authorities, inter alia, the Director-General had taken the decision to postpone all scheduled deployments and missions of the Secretariat until further notice. This includes missions to take place in the Syrian Arab Republic. 7. 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. The Secretariat is monitoring the situation closely and will keep the States Parties duly informed of the next developments. 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 8. 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 June 2020, the Syrian Arab Republic submitted to the Council its seventy-ninth monthly report (EC-94/P/NAT.4, dated 16 June 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 9. 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 10. 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 and paragraph 6 of Council decision EC-83/DEC.5. 11. In accordance with the decision of the Director-General to postpone all planned deployments and missions until further notice in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, the twenty-third round of consultations, initially planned to begin on 15 March 2020 in Damascus, will be rescheduled. EC-94/DG.12 page 3 12. 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 twenty-second 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 Syrian Arab Republic provided a response to the letter dated 16 June 2020, expressing its full readiness to continue consultations and technical meetings with the Secretariat. As at the date of this report, the Secretariat was awaiting the requested information, which will allow it to prepare the twenty-third round of consultations as soon as conditions permit. 13. In accordance with paragraph 10 of Council decision EC-83/DEC.5, the Secretariat continues 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. Pursuant to paragraph 11 of Council decision EC-83/DEC.5, the Secretariat conducted the sixth round of inspections of the Barzah and Jamrayah facilities of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) from 6 to 11 November 2019. The inspections did not find any substances or activities that are inconsistent with the Syrian Arab Republic’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. The conduct of further inspections of these facilities will be subject to the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on OPCW activities. 14. 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.1 The Secretariat will continue its engagement with the Syrian Arab Republic in this regard and will inform the Council in due course. Other activities carried out by the Technical Secretariat with respect to the Syrian Arab Republic 15. 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. 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 1 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-94/DG.12 page 4 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. 17. Pursuant to EC-M-43/DEC.1 (dated 24 July 2014) regarding the destruction and verification of 12 declared CWPFs, the Secretariat has been monitoring and maintaining the remote monitoring systems installed at four sealed underground structures on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. In line with the Council’s decision, on 11 March 2020 the Secretariat contracted a Syrian company for the removal of the monitoring equipment from the underground structures. The conduct of this activity will be subject to the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on OPCW activities. 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. Regarding the incident of alleged use of chemical weapons in Aleppo on 24 November 2018, the Secretariat has deployed to the Syrian Arab Republic three times to conduct interviews, visit hospitals, and receive samples provided by the Syrian Arab Republic. Additionally, since May 2019, exchanges of correspondence have been ongoing between the Secretariat and both the Syrian Arab Republic and the Russian Federation in relation to the Secretariat’s request for information collected by the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear specialists of the Russian Federation regarding this allegation.2 In this regard, a technical meeting was held between the Secretariat and the permanent representations to the OPCW of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Russian Federation in The Hague on 28 May 2020. The Secretariat is continuing to engage with the Syrian Arab Republic to clarify this issue and will inform the Council of the outcome in due course. 20. While continuing its engagement with the Syrian Arab Republic with regard to this and other incidents, 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 and its impact on OPCW activities. The FFM will report to the Council on the results of its work in due course. 2 Note verbale dated 21 May 2019 sent by the Secretariat to the Russian Federation; note verbale dated 11 June 2019 sent by the Russian Federation to the Secretariat; note verbale dated 23 December 2019 sent by the Secretariat to the Russian Federation; note verbale dated 23 December 2019 sent by the Secretariat to the Syrian Arab Republic; note verbale dated 24 January 2020 sent by the Russian Federation to the Secretariat; note verbale dated 21 April 2020 sent by the Secretariat to the Syrian Arab Republic; note verbale dated 30 April 2020 sent by the Russian Federation to the Secretariat; note verbale dated 7 May 2020 sent by the Syrian Arab Republic to the Secretariat; and note verbale dated 13 May 2020 sent by the Secretariat to the Russian Federation. EC-94/DG.12 page 5 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 21. 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. 22. 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. 23. Following its first report issued on 8 April 2020, 3 the IIT is continuing its investigations and will issue further reports in due course. Pursuant to paragraph 24 of decision C-SS-4/DEC.3, the next progress report on implementation of that decision will be submitted to the Council at its Ninety-Fourth Session, to be held from 7 to 10 July 2020. Supplementary resources 24. 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, and the biannual inspections of the SSRC. As at the cut-off date of this report, total contributions to this fund stood at EUR 32.8 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 25. The main focus of the future activities of the OPCW Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic will be on the activities 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; and the implementation of Conference decision C-SS-4/DEC.3.