Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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January 8, 2026 Peace and security
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and Syria continue to cooperate on eliminating any remnants of the chemical weapons program developed by the country's previous government. This was announced during a briefing on the progress of the program. Resolution 2118 (2013), which provides for the elimination of the chemical weapons program of the Syrian Arab Republic, was announced at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday by the acting head of the Office of Disarmament Affairs, Adedeji Eboh.
He welcomed the progress made, but stressed that serious obstacles remained.
As previously reported, since 2014, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has been unable to confirm the accuracy and completeness of the declaration submitted by the previous Syrian authorities due to incomplete and unreliable information. According to Ebo, the new government is working with the Technical Secretariat to clarify the full scope and nature of the previous program and ensure long-term compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.
More than 100 possible objects
The OPCW's latest report, he noted, confirms that in addition to the 26 officially declared chemical weapons-related facilities, the organization has information about more than 100 other locations that may have been involved in related activities by the previous government. The Technical Secretariat plans to visit all of these facilities, taking into account security and other considerations.
Since March 2025, the total number of locations visited has reached 19. Four of these were previously declared, and 15 were suspected chemical weapons-related sites. Based on the data obtained, a UN representative reported that at least two of these may be subject to declaration under the Convention.
The need for international support
According to the rapporteur, serious challenges remain ahead, and the successful completion of the process will require the consistent support of the entire international community.
Ebo emphasized that the OPCW Technical Secretariat remains committed to fulfilling its mandate to verify Syria's full compliance with all Convention requirements, decisions of the OPCW's governing bodies, and Security Council resolutions. He also reiterated his welcome for the new Syrian government's openness to cooperation with the Organization.
In conclusion, the UN representative recalled that there is currently a “critical opportunity” to obtain long-awaited clarification regarding the full scale of Syria’s chemical weapons program and to finally eliminate this arsenal in the country.
He called on Security Council members to unite and show leadership by providing the support needed for these efforts and stressed the United Nations' commitment to continue to uphold the norm of non-use of chemical weapons "whenever and wherever".
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