NOTE BY THE DIRECTOR–GENERAL PROGRESS IN THE ELIMINATION OF THE SYRIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROGRAMME / EC-75/DG.6

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 fifth 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 this 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 January to 22 February 2014.1 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 is required to complete the elimination of all chemical weapons material and equipment in the first half of 2014. Paragraphs 2 and 3 of EC-M-34/DEC.1 establish intermediate completion dates for the removal and destruction of Syrian chemical weapons prior to their complete elimination in the first half of 2014. Progress achieved within the reporting period by the Syrian Arab Republic in fulfilling these obligations is described below: (a) Pursuant to subparagraphs 2(a)(ii) and (iii) of EC-M-34.DEC.1, all chemicals listed in those subparagraphs were due to have been removed from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic by 31 December 2013 and 5 February 2014, respectively. However, these objectives were not met. In 1 This report takes into account information relating to an amended time frame for the transportation of all chemicals, as submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic to the Director-General on 23 February 2014. EC-75/DG.6 page 2 this regard, the Director-General encouraged the Syrian authorities to provide a time frame for the expeditious removal of these chemicals. On 27 January and 10 February 2014, further limited shipments of priority chemicals were transported to the port of embarkation at Latakia and loaded onto the Danish and Norwegian cargo ships, which means that 4.5% of Priority 1 chemicals have now been removed from the Syrian Arab Republic and, combined with the destruction of certain chemicals within the Syrian Arab Republic as described in subparagraph 4(d) below, a total of 17.2% of declared priority chemicals have either been destroyed or removed; (b) In response to the Director-General’s request, on 14 February 2014 the Syrian authorities provided a timeline for the removal of chemicals outside the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. The timeline, based on a total of 31 sequential movements of chemicals from the chemical weapons storage facilities (CWSFs) to the port of embarkation, estimated that complete removal could be achieved in approximately 100 days, with completion at the end of May 2014. On 13 and 14 February 2014, this timeline was discussed in the framework of the Operational Planning Group (OPG), which developed an alternative plan envisaging that chemicals could be removed by 31 March 2014, while addressing Syrian concerns regarding security and the availability of equipment and personnel. The Director-General encouraged the Syrian authorities to give serious consideration to this alternative plan. In a communication received on 20 February 2014 from the Head of the Syrian National Authority and Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Faisal Mekdad, it was mentioned that the Syrian Arab Republic was reviewing its timeline and will seek to shorten it to the extent considered possible. On 23 February 2014, the Syrian Arab Republic provided a revised time frame. According to this schedule, the Syrian Arab Republic aims to complete the removal of all chemicals from its territory by 13 April 2014, except for chemicals located in facilities that are presently inaccessible. These chemicals could be removed whenever conditions are deemed suitable for movements from these sites but in any event are scheduled for transportation by 27 April 2014, according to the revised schedule; (c) Pursuant to subparagraph 2(b) of EC-M-34/DEC.1, the Syrian Arab Republic is requested to destroy all of its chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) by 15 March 2014. As previously reported, a total of 26 CWPFs were declared. As at the cut-off date of this report, of these 26 CWPFs: eight mobile units had been destroyed and verified; at one CWPF, all declared specialised buildings and equipment had been destroyed and verified; at four CWPFs, all declared specialised/standard buildings and equipment had been destroyed but verification was pending; and at 13 CWPFs, either standard equipment and/or specialised/standard buildings remained to be destroyed and verified; (d) Pursuant to paragraph 9 of EC-M-34/DEC.1, the Syrian Arab Republic was required to submit, not later than 1 January 2014, for review by the Council not later than 15 January 2014, its plan for destroying, on its territory, isopropanol and residual mustard agent in containers previously containing mustard agent. The plan (EC-M-38/P/NAT.1, dated 14 January 2014) was EC-75/DG.6 page 3 noted by the Council at its Thirty-Eighth Meeting on 30 January 2014, at which meeting the Council also adopted a decision on verification measures for the destruction of isopropanol (EC-M-38/DEC.2, dated 30 January 2014). On 6 February 2014, the Syrian authorities submitted an amendment to the initial declaration correcting the amount of isopropanol declared. Subsequently, on 13 February 2014, the Syrian authorities submitted to the Secretariat information on the destruction of 93% of the declared amount of isopropanol. In the monthly report EC-M-39/P/NAT.1 (dated 18 February 2014), the Syrian Arab Republic indicated that the remaining amount of isopropanol will be destroyed as soon as circumstances permit access to the storage facility; and (e) 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 chemical weapons and CWPFs. The third such report was submitted to the Secretariat on 18 February 2014 and made available to the Council (EC-M-39/P/NAT.1). 5. In accordance with subparagraph 1(e) of EC-M-33/DEC.1 and paragraph 7 of 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 OPCW-United Nations Joint Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic (hereinafter “the Joint Mission”) in the conduct of its activities during the reporting period. On 5 February 2014, the OPCW and the United Nations concluded an agreement concerning the status of the Joint Mission with the Syrian Government as required by United Nations Security Council resolution 2118 (2013). A memorandum of understanding for the provision of medical services and emergency medical evacuation services was signed at the same time. Activities carried out by the Secretariat with respect to the Syrian Arab Republic 6. 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 New York, The Hague, Cyprus, and Damascus. As at the cut-off date of this report, 16 OPCW staff members were deployed with the Joint Mission in Damascus and Latakia, and one logistics officer in Beirut. 7. The Director-General and the Special Coordinator of the Joint Mission, Ms Sigrid Kaag, have maintained regular contact. The Special Coordinator briefed States Parties at OPCW Headquarters on 7 February 2014. The Director-General has continued to meet with senior representatives of the States Parties offering to host a destruction facility or otherwise providing assistance with transport or destruction, and to communicate regularly with senior officials from the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic. On 12 February 2014, the Director-General met with a visiting delegation from the Syrian Arab Republic. The Secretariat has continued to provide weekly information briefings to States Parties in The Hague. 8. The Joint Mission verified the packing and loading of chemicals, prior to their transportation to the port of embarkation at Latakia. On 27 January 2014, for security EC-75/DG.6 page 4 reasons, the physical presence of inspectors at the relevant CWSFs was not possible and remote verification was therefore undertaken instead, with a full inventory being conducted at the port. The physical presence of inspectors was possible for the movement on 10 February 2014, and activities at the relevant CWSFs included verifying the chemicals against the initial declaration, taking an inventory of the chemicals loaded into each shipping container, conducting sampling on a random basis, and sealing the containers. Upon the arrival of the containers at Latakia, the inventory documents for each shipping container were checked, the integrity of the seals was confirmed, and the contents of the containers were verified on a random basis. Once the containers were securely loaded on board the cargo ships, they returned to international waters, where, along with the naval escorts, they will await further deliveries of chemicals to Latakia. 9. The Joint Mission also conducted inspections at several CWSFs to verify the destruction of isopropanol carried out by Syrian personnel as reported in subparagraph 4(d) above. As at the cut-off date of this report, the destruction of 93% of the total declared quantity of isopropanol had been verified in accordance with the verification measures contained in EC-M-38/DEC.2. In addition, the Joint Mission has verified as destroyed 87% of containers previously containing mustard agent. The remaining quantity of isopropanol and the remaining containers are at locations that are currently assessed as being inaccessible for security reasons. Decanting of certain chemicals into new storage containers, suitable for transportation, was also verified at several CWSFs, in preparation for their onward transportation to the port of embarkation. 10. On 6 February 2014, representatives of the Secretariat participated in a preparatory meeting at the Italian port of Gioia Tauro, which is where chemicals will be transloaded from the Danish cargo ship on to the United States vessel, the MV Cape Ray, for eventual destruction. At the port, discussions were also held with the representatives of local agencies involved in the operation, as well as representatives of Denmark, Italy, and the United States of America. 11. Following a rigorous solicitation process, on 14 February 2014 the Director-General announced that contracts for transport, treatment, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous organic and inorganic chemicals, effluents, and related materials with respect to the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons had been awarded to Ekokem Oy Ab from Finland and Veolia Environmental Services Technical Solutions, LLC from the United States of America. As previously reported, in response to the call for proposals that had been issued on 20 December 2013, 14 bids had been received by the deadline of 19 January 2014. Qualifying bids underwent a thorough process of technical and commercial evaluation before the preferred companies were selected for award of the contract by the Director-General. The conclusion of the solicitation process represents an important step towards the complete destruction of Syrian chemical weapons outside the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. 12. On 14 February 2014, consultations were held with the Syrian Arab Republic with respect to the destruction of 12 declared Syrian CWPFs. 13. Informal consultations have been conducted on a model agreement specifying the arrangements governing on-site inspections at commercial facilities selected pursuant EC-75/DG.6 page 5 to paragraph 24 of decision EC-M-34/DEC.1 or sponsored by States Parties pursuant to paragraph 7 of decision EC-M-36/DEC.2. The model agreement was approved by the Council at its Thirty-Eighth Meeting (EC-M-38/DEC.1, dated 30 January 2014). The Secretariat has initiated negotiations on such an agreement with the two States Parties hosting the commercial facilities selected as a result of the solicitation process described in paragraph 11 above, with the model agreement serving as a basis for these negotiations. The model agreement will also serve as the basis for agreements with the Governments of Germany and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in respect of the commercial facilities directly sponsored by these States Parties and which will destroy certain chemicals as part of their in-kind contributions. 14. As reported previously, the Secretariat, as required by paragraph 13 of EC-M-34/DEC.1, has developed a draft facility agreement for Syrian CWSFs and submitted the draft to the Syrian authorities for their comments. Supplementary resources 15. As reported in the previous monthly report, several States Parties are providing assistance and resources for the purposes of the transportation, removal, and destruction of Syrian chemical weapons. All equipment requested by the Syrian Arab Republic has now been provided, either through the Joint Mission or under bilateral arrangements. On 13 February 2014, the MV Cape Ray arrived in the region. Along with the outcome of the solicitation process described in paragraph 11 above, these developments mean that all the elements necessary for the removal of chemical weapons from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic and their subsequent destruction are now in place. 16. As at the cut-off date of this report, the balance in the Syria Trust Fund for the Destruction of Chemical Weapons stood at EUR 16 million. Contributions have been received from Australia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, 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. Further contributions of EUR 2 million and approximately EUR 350,000 are expected from Italy and the Republic of Korea respectively. In addition, on 23 January 2014, an agreement was signed with India for a voluntary contribution of approximately EUR 736,000. On 24 January 2014, the Government of Canada announced a voluntary contribution of approximately EUR 6.6 million, part of a line of support that includes another CAD 5 million to support destruction operations aboard the United States vessel MV Cape Ray. On 17 February 2014, the Director-General travelled to Brussels to sign an agreement for a voluntary contribution of EUR 12 million by the European Union. The Japanese Government has decided to contribute USD 18 million (approximately EUR 13.2 million) jointly to the OPCW and the United Nations. EC-75/DG.6 page 6 Conclusion 17. The Syrian Arab Republic has reaffirmed its commitment to the elimination of its chemical weapons programme in a timely manner. All the elements of the removal and destruction plan, including additional security equipment that the Syrian Arab Republic had considered essential and armour jackets for protection of the ISO containers, are now in place. It should therefore be possible to begin immediately the process of removal of chemicals in earnest through a cascade of activities that should yield significant and sustained movements.