NOTE BY THE DIRECTOR–GENERAL PROGRESS IN THE ELIMINATION OF THE SYRIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROGRAMME / EC-79/DG.15

NOTE 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, also adopted a decision entitled “Reports of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission in Syria” (EC-M-48/DEC.1, dated 4 February 2015). 4. This, the twenty-first monthly report, is therefore submitted in accordance with the aforementioned Council decisions, and includes information relevant to the period from 22 May to 22 June 2015. Progress achieved by the Syrian Arab Republic in meeting the requirements of EC-M-33/DEC.1 and EC-M-34/DEC.1 5. Progress within the reporting period by the Syrian Arab Republic is as follows: (a) With respect to the 12 chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) (seven aircraft hangars and five underground structures) in the Syrian Arab Republic, since the last report, brief periods of stable security conditions have allowed the completion of drilling operations at one hangar site and the near completion of destruction activities at one underground structure. As such, six hangars are now ready to accommodate explosives, and the Secretariat has verified the destruction of four underground structures, as previously reported. Explosives are now expected to arrive before the end of June 2015. Severe security conditions continue to preclude safe access to one hangar. EC-79/DG.15 page 2 (b) On 15 June 2015, the Syrian Arab Republic submitted to the Council its nineteenth monthly report (EC-79/P/NAT.3, dated 15 June 2015) 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. (c) The Syrian authorities have continued to extend the necessary cooperation in accordance with the implementation of subparagraph 1(e) of EC-M-33/DEC.1 and paragraph 7 of United Nations Security Council resolution 2118 (2013). Progress in the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons by States Parties hosting destruction activities 6. As reported previously, all declared chemicals have been removed from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, and all declared stocks of the Category 1 chemicals have been destroyed. A total of 93.7% of the Category 2 chemicals has now been destroyed, representing a combined total of 98.8% of all chemical weapons declared by the Syrian Arab Republic, including the isopropanol previously destroyed in the Syrian Arab Republic. The status of the destruction of the remaining Category 2 chemical (hydrogen fluoride (HF)) and effluents is as follows: (a) Veolia ES Technical Solutions, LLC in the United States of America has finalised its arrangements to safely process the corroded HF cylinders, and is expected to restart its activities soon. As reported previously, a total of 48.7% of the HF has already been destroyed. (b) As Ekokem in Finland has now completed the destruction of DF effluent, and as GEKA had already completed the destruction of HD effluent, as previously reported, all effluent that was produced by the neutralisation process on board the United States vessel MV Cape Ray has been destroyed. 7. The Secretariat will continue to brief States Parties in The Hague on the destruction activities relating to the remaining HF cylinders. Activities carried out by the Secretariat with respect to the Syrian Arab Republic 8. In the context of the OPCW Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic, cooperation with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has continued and seven OPCW staff members were deployed as part of that Mission as at the cut-off date of this report. Ms Grete Faremo, Executive Director of UNOPS, along with her colleagues in charge of the Mission, visited the OPCW Headquarters on 18 June 2015 and met with the Director-General and other OPCW staff dealing with the Mission. The two sides discussed the ongoing cooperation between the OPCW and UNOPS in the Syrian Arab Republic on activities related to the destruction of the 12 former CWPFs, as well as other operations carried out by the Mission. 9. The Director-General has continued to communicate with senior representatives of the States Parties hosting a destruction facility or providing assistance with the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons, and with senior officials of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic. As requested by the Council at its Seventy-Fifth Session (paragraph 7.12 of EC-75/2, dated 7 March 2014), the Secretariat, on behalf of the Director-General, has continued to brief States Parties in The Hague on its activities. EC-79/DG.15 page 3 10. The Secretariat and the Syrian authorities have continued to cooperate on outstanding issues regarding the Syrian initial declaration, as encouraged by the Council at its Seventy-Sixth Session (paragraph 6.17 of EC-76/6, dated 11 July 2014). The Declaration Assessment Team (DAT) continued interviews, site visits, and technical discussions on issues still requiring clarification with the Syrian authorities in the course of its ninth mission, which was conducted from 17 to 29 May 2015. The laboratory analysis of the samples taken at three sites visited during the ninth mission, and the samples taken at three locations during the DAT’s eighth mission, is in progress. The Secretariat is expecting to receive the results within a few weeks. The DAT is preparing its fifth status report, which is to be tabled at the Seventy-Ninth Session of the Council, to be held from 7 to 10 July 2015. The DAT’s next mission is planned for 19 July to 1 August 2015. 11. Regarding the implementation of additional special monitoring measures in accordance with Notes EC-M-43/DG.1/Rev.1 (dated 21 July 2014) and EC-M-40/DG.2/Add.1 (dated 20 July 2014), the special monitoring system equipment was cleared by the Syrian customs authorities, and the contractor has begun installation of the equipment at two of the four sites under the supervision of OPCW inspectors. 12. Although not part of the Syrian chemical weapons programme, the Secretariat verified on 21 May 2015 the destruction of two items declared by the Syrian Arab Republic as abandoned chemical weapons in accordance with Council decision EC-78/DEC.9 (dated 19 March 2015). Supplementary resources 13. The total contributions of EUR 50.3 million in the Syria Trust Fund for the Destruction of Chemical Weapons and the contributors thereto remained unchanged from the previous report. Activities carried out with respect to the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission in Syria 14. Following the information provided by the Syrian Arab Republic in December 2014 alleging a number of incidents of use of toxic chemicals for hostile purposes, the Director-General had offered to investigate these allegations. Final confirmation from the Syrian Arab Republic that the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) could undertake a visit to Damascus was received on 21 May 2015, and an FFM team was immediately despatched. This team, and another that conducted work in the context of the recent allegations of the use of toxic chemicals in the Idlib province of the Syrian Arab Republic, are now analysing the information collected from their first deployments. On 24 June 2015, the two FFM teams will brief States Parties on their activities, which included conducting numerous interviews and collecting other relevant information and evidence. 15. The United Nations Secretary-General, in a letter received by the OPCW on 27 May 2015, noted his deep concern over all recent allegations of use of toxic chemicals in the Syria Arab Republic, and confirmed the willingness of the United Nations to provide assistance in the framework of ongoing cooperation constituted by the relationship agreement between the United Nations and the OPCW. EC-79/DG.15 page 4 Conclusion 16. The main focus of the future activities of the OPCW Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic will continue to be on the destruction of the seven remaining CWPFs and on installing and operationalising the special remote monitoring system in the underground structures. The DAT and the FFM will also continue their work in the Syrian Arab Republic.