SWEDEN STATEMENT BY MR PETTER LYCKE DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SWEDEN TO THE OPCW AT THE FIFTY-EIGHTH MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

SWEDEN STATEMENT BY MR PETTER LYCKE DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SWEDEN TO THE OPCW AT THE FIFTY-EIGHTH MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Mr Chairperson, Mr Director-General, distinguished ambassadors and delegates, Sweden fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by Ambassador Kostov of Bulgaria on behalf of the European Union. I would also like to make the following remarks in my national capacity. Today, 16 April, this Executive Council meets once again to address the continued reports of chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian Arab Republic. Over the past five years, chemical weapons have been used repeatedly in the Syrian Arab Republic. The OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism concluded that the Syrian regime was responsible for four chemical weapons attacks and Daesh for two. Their use is a war crime and constitutes a crime against humanity. We welcome the decision by the Director-General to quickly deploy a Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) to Douma and we look forward to its findings. The prompt action by the Technical Secretariat manifests the effectiveness and professionalism of this Organisation. The FFM is an indispensable tool to establish the facts regarding chemical weapons use in the Syrian Arab Republic. Sweden deeply regrets that the United Nations Security Council, not least because of Russian vetoes, has not been able to agree on how the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic should be stopped by political means and by the United Nations Charter. Efforts to achieve a political solution and ensure compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention must go on. It is now important that the multilateral process continues and that the United Nations Security Council takes its responsibility under international law, including by setting up a truly impartial and independent attribution mechanism. We cannot accept impunity. I would kindly ask that this statement be issued as an official document and placed on the OPCW public website. Thank you, Mr Chairperson