Damascus Syria January 6 ANI Syria's declaration of its chemical weapons programme can't be considered accurate due to gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Izumi Nakamitsu urged the country to cooperate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons OPCW and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, saying full cooperation is essential to solving these outstanding issues. The UN disarmament chief presented an update on the implementation of Security Council resolution 211813 regarding the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons programme.
According to Nakamitsu, Syria has submitted 17 amendments and several supplements to its initial declaration. 20 of the 24 outstanding issues are unresolved.
She told Council Members that these outstanding points are of concern and involve undeclared research, production, and the arming of unknown quantities of chemical weapons.
There are also significant quantities of chemical warfare agents or precursors, and chemical munitions whose fate has not yet been fully verified.
Nakamitsu has given all the information OPCW has not yet received, such as a declaration on all undeclared types and quantities of nerve agents produced at a former production facility, details of damage caused during an attack on 8 June 2021, or the unauthorised movement and remains of two destroyed cylinders.
Nakamitsu assured that a team from OPCW will assist in amending the initial declaration once the Syrian National Authority provides sufficient information and explanations.
The High Representative said that OPCW has not been able to schedule the 25th round of consultations in Damascus because of the refusal of the Syrian Arab Republic to issue an entry visa for one member of the team.
The OPCW's Headquarters in The Hague was unable to convene a limited meeting with Syrian experts.
The disarmament chief said that the COVID 19 pandemic has impacted the ability of the OPCW to deploy to the country, but it remains ready to do it.