NOTE BY THE DIRECTOR–GENERAL PROGRESS IN THE ELIMINATION OF THE SYRIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROGRAMME / EC-M-44/DG.2

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 eleventh 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 25 July to 22 August 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 isopropanol have been destroyed within the Syrian Arab Republic. Progress achieved within the current reporting period by the Syrian Arab Republic in fulfilling other obligations is described below: (a) In accordance with the Council’s decision on the combined plans for the destruction and verification of 12 declared chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) in the Syrian Arab Republic (EC-M-43/DEC.1, dated 24 July 2014), a planning meeting to discuss modalities for the destruction operations was held in Beirut from 6 to 8 August 2014 between the Secretariat, representatives of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, the OPCW-UN Joint Mission (hereinafter “the Joint Mission”) and the United EC-M-44/DG.2 page 2 Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which is expected to deliver the procurement of the required services, equipment, explosives, and chemicals within the time frame envisaged. A further planning meeting was held in Beirut on 15 August 2014 which, in addition to the above representatives, also included representatives of a company identified by the OPCW to provide specialist technical advice to the Syrian Arab Republic and two companies identified by the Syrian Arab Republic that will undertake destruction activities. A final planning meeting will be held in early September 2014, with a view to laying down the agreed responsibilities, tasks, modalities, and time frames for the destruction operations. (b) Following the submission by the Syrian Arab Republic of a destruction plan for the two items declared by its Government as abandoned chemical weapons as reported in the previous monthly report (EC-M-44/DG.1, dated 25 July 2014), the Secretariat has issued a draft decision on the agreed detailed plan for the verification of their destruction (EC-M-44/DEC/CRP.1, dated 25 August 2014), together with the report (EC-M-44/P/S/1, dated 25 August 2014). (c) 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 ninth such report was submitted to the Secretariat on 18 August 2014 and made available to the Council (EC-M-44/P/NAT.1, dated 18 August 2014). (d) 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 to the Joint Mission in the conduct of its activities during the reporting period. 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 well under way. 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 December2013): (a) Destruction operations on board the MV Cape Ray were completed on 18 August 2014. An OPCW inspection team was on board the MV Cape Ray to verify the destruction and to ensure that it took place in accordance with paragraph 8 and subparagraph 12(f) of EC-M-34/DEC.1. All liquid waste produced by the hydrolysis of the declared chemicals DF and HD was pumped directly into ISO tanks on the ship. The MV Cape Ray is currently on its way EC-M-44/DG.2 page 3 to deliver the DF effluent to Ekokem’s facility in Riihimäki, Finland, and the HD effluent to the GEKA facility in Münster, Germany, for disposal. (b) As at the cut-off date of this report, 85% of the received chemicals had been destroyed by Ekokem in Finland, with one of the Category 1 chemicals received with the first delivery on 21 June 2014 having been completely destroyed. (c) As reported in the previous monthly report (EC-M-44/DG.1), Veolia ES Technical Solutions, LLC in the United States of America, the other commercial facility selected through the tender process organised by the OPCW, received the declared chemicals transported by the Norwegian cargo ship Taiko on 9 July 2014. As at the cut-off date of this report, 42% of the received chemicals had been destroyed by Veolia ES Technical Solutions, LLC. (d) Veolia Environmental Services (UK) in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland received declared chemicals transported from the Syrian Arab Republic by the Ark Futura on 15 and 16 July 2014. The Secretariat verified the completion of destruction activities at Veolia Environmental Services (UK) as announced by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on 7 August 2014. Destruction activities at Mexichem UK Limited are planned for late 2014. 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 65% of the Category 2 chemicals had been destroyed, representing a combined total of 93%, 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 in the context of the Joint Mission has continued with close coordination between the two organisations and between the offices in The Hague, New York, Damascus, and Cyprus. The Director-General and the Special Coordinator of the Joint Mission, Ms Sigrid Kaag, have maintained regular contact. As at the cut-off date of this report, two OPCW staff members were deployed as part of the Joint Mission in Damascus, and one logistics officer in Beirut. 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. EC-M-44/DG.2 page 4 9. Efforts are being continued to streamline and complete the data regarding the initial declaration submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic in October 2013 (and subsequent amendments). The Council at its Seventy-Sixth Session “urged the Secretariat and the Syrian authorities to continue to cooperate through technical discussions on outstanding issues regarding Syria’s declaration, with a view to the soonest resolution of questions raised by the Secretariat to further the declaration’s accuracy and completeness” (paragraph 6.17 of EC-76/6, dated 11 July 2014). Consultations on this issue will continue. 10. A team of four OPCW inspectors was permanently on board the MV Cape Ray as it neutralised HD and DF. Two of these inspectors have returned to the OPCW Headquarters, while the remaining two inspectors will witness the delivery of the effluents in Finland and Germany. OPCW inspectors have carried out inspections at the commercial facilities to verify destruction activities, and have witnessed the destruction of the final amount of chemicals to be destroyed at Veolia Environmental Services (UK) in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The OPCW is receiving weekly updates on the progress of the destruction of Syrian chemicals weapons and, as instructed by the Council in paragraph 4 of decision EC-M-38/DEC.1 (dated 30 January 2014), reports on such progress through these monthly reports. In the interests of transparency, the OPCW is also reporting on the progress in destruction through its public website. 11. On 31 July 2014, the United Nations Secretary-General’s office sent a letter to the Director-General, recommending arrangements for the provision of logistical, administrative, and security support to the OPCW through a partnership with UNOPS, in the event that the Security Council agrees that the Joint Mission is to transition on 30 September 2014. Consecutive consultations were initiated with UNOPS and a meeting was held at OPCW Headquarters on 12 August 2014. 12. The Secretariat has also sent letters to the States Parties that have provided voluntary contributions towards the Syria Trust Fund for the Destruction of Chemical Weapons, seeking their agreement to the Secretariat’s use of the funds provided in the trust fund beyond the timelines specified by the Council pursuant to EC-M-34/DEC.1, for the purpose of supporting the activities of the Secretariat undertaken in relation to the destruction of the declared CWPFs in the Syrian Arab Republic in accordance with the framework and programmes set out in EC-M-43/DEC.1 and any other relevant decisions by the policy-making organs. 13. With regard to the implementation of additional special monitoring measures as specified in the Note EC-M-43/DG.1/Rev.1 (dated 21 July 2014), initial discussions have been held with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in order to benefit from its experience. A team from the Secretariat will travel to the IAEA Headquarters in late August to determine the suitability of the IAEA monitoring equipment. Supplementary resources 14. 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 49.7 million. Contributions have been received from Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, EC-M-44/DG.2 page 5 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 15. The completion of the destruction operations on board the MV Cape Ray ends a crucial stage in the complex international maritime operation to remove and destroy the chemical weapons stockpile of the Syrian Arab Republic. This, together with the completion of destruction activities at Veolia Environmental Services (UK), represents the achievement of key milestones in the elimination of the chemical weapons declared by the Syrian Arab Republic. All Category 1 chemicals have now been destroyed. 16. With regard to the destruction of the 12 remaining CWPFs, the planning of the destruction operations is expected to be finalised in early September, depending on progress made to conclude the necessary contracts and arrangements. While the destruction of these facilities remains the responsibility of the Syrian Arab Republic, decision EC-M/43/DEC.1 authorises the Director-General “to enter, after consultations with the Syrian Arab Republic, into such contracts and arrangements as he considers necessary, to assist the Syrian Arab Republic in the destruction of these facilities utilizing funds from the OPCW Syria Trust Fund for the Destruction of Chemical Weapons, following close consultations with the donors, whose contributions are to be used…”. As mentioned earlier in this report, the necessary consultations with all the relevant stakeholders have been held intensively in order to finalise the arrangements and contracts envisaged in the Council’s decision. The destruction of these facilities will be a complex undertaking. It coincides with the possible transition of the Joint Mission and thus requires thorough preparations for post-transition successor arrangements. The work itself will involve frequent and extended exposure of contracted personnel to the sites in question, which will require uninterrupted liaison and coordination between all concerned, especially in the context of security. Another important factor in the timely commencement and conclusion of the destruction programme relates to the availability of the necessary funding for defraying all reasonable costs associated with the destruction effort. The Secretariat will continue to regularly report to the Council on the progress being made, together with recommendations for any adjustments in the destruction schedule, if necessary. 17. The Fact-Finding Mission is continuing its work to establish the facts surrounding the allegations of the use of toxic chemicals, reportedly chlorine, for hostile purposes in the Syrian Arab Republic.