SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Syria chemical inspections set to start

Inspection of Syrian chemical weapons sites must start by Tuesday, a draft plan from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says.

3 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Inspection of Syrian chemical weapons sites with a view to their destruction must start by Tuesday, says a draft decision to be discussed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Besides weapons locations declared by Damascus as part of a deal to head off threatened military strikes, inspectors will also be able to visit "any other site identified by a State Party as having been involved in the Syrian chemical weapons program," says the draft document seen by AFP.

The draft says however that such matters could be resolved through "consultations and cooperation" and that the OPCW's Director General Ahmet Uzumcu can deem claims of hidden chemical weapons as "unwarranted".

The OPCW's 41-member council will meet on Friday in The Hague to discuss the draft which lays out what US Secretary of State John Kerry has called the "rules and regulations" of Syrian chemical disarmament, which Damascus has signed up to.

Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons as part of a US-Russian agreement made earlier this month, worked out as Washington threatened military action in response to an August 21 chemical weapons attack outside Damascus.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

In cases of non-compliance with the plan, which sees all Syrian chemical weapons and facilities destroyed by mid-2014, the OPCW will discuss the allegation and "bring the issue or matter... directly to the attention of the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council."

Syria is required to supply further details on its chemical weapons stockpile within seven days of the OPCW draft being adopted, it said.

All Syrian chemical weapons facilities must be inspected no later than 30 days after the document is adopted.

The OPCW's Executive Council is to decide on "intermediate destruction milestones" by November 15, it said, calling also on Syria to provide "immediate and unfettered right to inspect any and all sites."

The OPCW shall "as soon as possible and in any case not later than October 1 initiate inspections in the Syrian Arab Republic pursuant to this decision."

Syria is also required to designate a liaison official for the OPCW and "provide him or her with the authority necessary to ensure that this decision is fully implemented."

The OPCW meeting comes after the United States and Russia agreed a draft UN Security Council resolution on Syria's chemical weapons on Thursday, breaking a prolonged deadlock.

The 15-member Security Council is to vote on the resolution on Friday, after the OPCW meeting.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world