NOTE BY THE DIRECTOR–GENERAL PROGRESS IN THE ELIMINATION OF THE SYRIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROGRAMME / EC-M-46/DG.1

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”) reports 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 submitted to the Security Council through the Secretary-General. This is the thirteenth such monthly report. 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. This report is therefore submitted in accordance with both above-mentioned Council decisions and includes information relevant to their implementation during the period from 23 September to 22 October 2014. Progress achieved by the Syrian Arab Republic in meeting the requirements of EC-M-33/DEC.1 and EC-M-34/DEC.1 4. In accordance with subparagraph 1(c) of EC-M-33/DEC.1, the Syrian Arab Republic was required to complete the elimination of all chemical weapons material and equipment in the first half of 2014. As reported previously, all declared chemicals have been removed from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, while all declared stocks of the Category 1 chemical have been destroyed. Progress achieved within the current reporting period by the Syrian Arab Republic in fulfilling other obligations is described below: (a) With respect to the destruction and verification of the 12 declared chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) in the Syrian Arab Republic as per Council decision EC-M-43/DEC.1 (dated 24 July 2014), a meeting was held in Beirut from 24 to 26 September 2014 between representatives of the Secretariat, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and the two Syrian companies proposed by the Government to undertake destruction activities. The purpose of the EC-M-46/DG.1 page 2 meeting was to streamline the tasks, modalities, and costs of those activities. Discussions were held with the two Syrian companies to review and discuss the technical aspects of their offers and to negotiate the costs quoted. On 30 September 2014, pricing and technical negotiations were successfully concluded with the company selected by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic for the destruction of the aircraft hangars. However, negotiations could not be concluded with the second company for the destruction of the underground structures, after the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic informed the UNOPS Representative in Damascus on 5 October 2014 that this company failed to meet the requirement of the Government not holding any stake or financial interest in the company itself, as per the conditions stipulated by the OPCW donors. On 17 October 2014, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic informed the Secretariat that a new company had been selected for the destruction of the underground structures. With regard to the planned time frame agreed with UNOPS, should the required explosives be supplied and the contracts with the service and equipment providers be concluded promptly under conditions acceptable to the OPCW, it is expected that the destruction activities will commence in November 2014, and that the first CWPF will be destroyed by 30 November 2014. The destruction of the aircraft hangars will now be carried out entirely by the Syrian company identified by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic. (b) On 12 September 2014, the Syrian Arab Republic submitted a detailed plan for the destruction of the “Al-Maliha” ricin production facility (EC-77/P/NAT.2, dated 12 September 2014) that was declared on 14 July 2014 as a result of the work of the Declaration Assessment Team. The plan was noted by the Council at its Seventy-Seventh Session (paragraph 6.12 of EC-77/4, dated 10 October 2014). (c) Following the submission by the Syrian Arab Republic of a destruction plan for the two items declared by its Government as abandoned chemical weapons, the Secretariat submitted a draft decision on the agreed detailed plan for the verification of their destruction (EC-M-44/DEC/CRP.1/Rev.1, dated 8 October 2014), together with the report (EC-M-44/P/S/1, dated 25 August 2014). The Council considered the draft decision at its Seventy-Seventh Session and decided to consider the matter further at its next regular session (paragraph 6.13 of EC-77/4) in March 2015. (d) Pursuant to paragraph 19 of EC-M-34/DEC.1, the Syrian Arab Republic is required to submit a monthly report to the Council regarding activities on its territory related to the destruction of its chemical weapons and CWPFs. The eleventh such report was submitted to the Secretariat on 15 October 2014 and will be made available to the Council at its next meeting. (e) In accordance with subparagraph 1(e) of EC-M-33/DEC.1 and paragraph 7 of United Nations Security Council resolution 2118 (2013), the Syrian Arab Republic shall cooperate fully with all aspects of the implementation of the decision and the resolution. The Syrian authorities have continued to extend the necessary cooperation during the reporting period. EC-M-46/DG.1 page 3 Progress in the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons by States Parties hosting destruction activities 5. Following the complete removal of identified chemicals from the Syrian Arab Republic on 23 June 2014, destruction activities are nearing completion. The following subparagraphs provide information on the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons on board the United States vessel MV Cape Ray, at commercial facilities selected pursuant to paragraph 24 of EC-M-34/DEC.1, and at facilities sponsored by States Parties pursuant to paragraph 7 of decision EC-M-36/DEC.2 (dated 17 December 2013): (a) As at the cut-off date of this report, 100% of the received Category 1 and 2 chemicals had been destroyed by Ekokem in Finland. Of the DF effluent delivered by the MV Cape Ray on 30 and 31 August 2014, a total of 9% had already been destroyed. (b) As at the cut-off date of this report, Veolia ES Technical Solutions, LLC in the United States of America, the other commercial facility selected alongside Ekokem through the tender process organised by the OPCW, had destroyed 65% of the received chemicals. (c) As at the cut-off date of this report, there was only one remaining chemical to be destroyed at Mexichem UK Limited, with the destruction activities planned for late 2014. The Secretariat verified the complete destruction of all other chemicals at Veolia Environmental Services (UK) as announced by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on 7 August 2014. (d) The HD effluent produced by the neutralisation process on board the MV Cape Ray was delivered to the port of Bremen in Germany on 5 September 2014 and transported from there to the GEKA facility. As at the cut-off date of this report, 21% of the effluent had already been destroyed. 6. Taken together, the destruction activities described in subparagraphs 5(a) to 5(d) above mean that, as at the cut-off date of this report, 100% of the Category 1 chemicals and 88.8% of the Category 2 chemicals had been destroyed, representing a combined total of 97.8%, including the isopropanol previously destroyed in the Syrian Arab Republic. The Secretariat will continue to provide such information during briefings to States Parties in The Hague and through the monthly reports. Timelines for the completion of the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons were provided in the overall report on the elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons programme (paragraph 25 of EC-76/DG.16, dated 4 July 2014), which was noted by the Council at its Seventy-Sixth Session. Activities carried out by the Secretariat with respect to the Syrian Arab Republic 7. Effective cooperation with the United Nations has continued, while the Joint Mission completed its mandate on 30 September 2014. The Director-General would like to express appreciation to all United Nations and OPCW staff members who served under the Joint Mission under the guidance of the Special Coordinator, Ms Sigrid Kaag, who will continue to assist the Secretary-General of the United Nations in the context of ongoing work in the Syrian Arab Republic. As at the cut-off date of this EC-M-46/DG.1 page 4 report, two OPCW staff members were deployed as part of the OPCW Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic. 8. The Director-General has continued to meet with senior representatives of the States Parties hosting a destruction facility or otherwise providing assistance with transport or destruction of Syrian chemical weapons, and to communicate regularly with senior officials from 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 has continued to provide regular information briefings to States Parties in The Hague on behalf of the Director-General. 9. As reported in the previous monthly report (paragraph 9 of EC-77/DG.22, dated 24 September 2014), samples collected during the hydrolysis of DF and sulfur mustard agent on board the United States vessel MV Cape Ray have been transported to the OPCW Laboratory. Similarly, samples of the Syrian chemical materials being destroyed at commercial facilities have been retained under OPCW seal. As another confidence-building measure in the joint efforts to eliminate the chemical weapons programme of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Secretariat has sought the consideration and decision of the Council to retain, at the OPCW Laboratory, samples of chemicals from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic for future reference, if so required. The Secretariat intends to retain the samples referred to in this paragraph, pending a decision by the Council. A Note by the Secretariat on this matter (EC-77/S/3, dated 12 September 2014) was noted by the Council at its Seventy-Seventh Session. The Council also decided to further consider a draft decision on this matter (EC-77/DEC/CRP.2, dated 12 September 2014) at its next regular session. 10. As stipulated by the Council at its Seventy-Sixth Session (paragraph 6.17 of EC-76/6, dated 11 July 2014), the Secretariat and the Syrian authorities continue to cooperate on outstanding issues regarding the Syrian declaration. The latest meeting took place in Beirut from 17 to 19 September 2014. At the Seventy-Seventh Session of the Council, the Secretariat made a follow-up presentation for States Parties on the activities of the Declaration Assessment Team, and issued a report to States Parties on the activities of the Team (EC-77/P/S/1, dated 2 October 2014), which was noted by the Council. The consultations on outstanding issues regarding the Syrian declaration continue. 11. On 25 September 2014, UNOPS and the OPCW concluded a Contribution Agreement for the provision by UNOPS of equipment and services for the destruction of the 12 CWPFs in the Syrian Arab Republic and for the OPCW operations there. 12. With regard to the implementation of additional special monitoring measures as specified in Note EC-M-43/DG.1/Rev.1 (dated 21 July 2014), and following discussions held with experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the OPCW decided on the use of a vault monitoring system, which is based on well-known technology already in use by the IAEA. This system is designed for simpler installation and maintenance, as well as to be robust and tamper-proof. It will be composed essentially of loops of optical cables installed inside the interior plug of the underground structures defined as CWPFs, while signals of events related to the damage of these cables will be remotely monitored at the OPCW Headquarters. Accordingly, the loop will function as a seal of the aforementioned plug. EC-M-46/DG.1 page 5 Supplementary resources 13. As at the cut-off date of this report, the total contribution received in the Syria Trust Fund for the Destruction of Chemical Weapons stood at EUR 50.3 million. Contributions have been received from Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, the European Union, Finland, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This includes the contributions that were originally made to the first OPCW Trust Fund for Syria and which have, at the request of the donor, subsequently been transferred, in part or in whole, to the Syria Trust Fund for the Destruction of Chemical Weapons. Conclusion 14. Since 1 October 2014, the OPCW has been conducting activities in the Syrian Arab Republic in cooperation with UNOPS as part of the OPCW Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic. The main focus of future activities will be on the destruction of the 12 remaining CWPFs, which is scheduled to begin in November 2014. The Declaration Assessment Team will also continue its work in the Syrian Arab Republic. 15. The second report of the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), including its key findings, was circulated to States Parties on 10 September 2014 (S/1212/2014, dated 10 September 2014 and Corr.1, dated 29 September 2014). The Council discussed the report at its Forty-Fifth Meeting on 26 September 2014 and at its Seventy-Seventh Session, where it requested the FFM to continue its work in the Syrian Arab Republic (paragraph 6.33 of EC-77/4).