OPCW restores Syria's chemical weapons treaty rights after five-year suspension

The Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has voted by consensus to restore Syria's rights and privileges under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), citing significant progress by the country's new authorities in addressing its inherited chemical weapons programme.

The decision was adopted during the Council's 112th session in The Hague on July 9 under powers delegated by the Conference of the States Parties (CSP).

Syria's rights had been suspended since 2021 over the former Assad government's failure to fully declare its chemical weapons programme and the confirmed use of chemical weapons in the country, both of which the OPCW said constituted serious violations of the Convention.

The resolution, co-sponsored by 67 member states from different regional groups, follows what the OPCW described as a "significant change in circumstances" after the fall of the Assad government in December 2024.

According to the organisation, Syria's new authorities have committed to meeting the country's obligations under the Convention and have taken concrete steps to cooperate with the OPCW Technical Secretariat.

These include amending Syria's initial declaration of its chemical weapons programme, preparing facility agreements, facilitating verification activities and beginning preparations for the destruction of identified chemical weapons remnants.

Alongside the decision to restore Syria's rights, the Executive Council approved a detailed verification plan for the destruction of Category 3 chemical weapons at Al Qutayfah, as well as facility agreements covering the Al Qutayfah and Homs chemical weapons storage sites.

The OPCW said Syria would remain subject to its obligations under the Convention, while the Executive Council would continue reviewing progress and overseeing the verified elimination of the remaining chemical weapons programme inherited from the former government.

OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias said the decisions reflected "tangible progress" achieved through cooperation between Syria and the Technical Secretariat.

He said the measures established a robust framework for the next phase of verification and destruction activities and marked another milestone in efforts to ensure the complete and verified elimination of all remaining chemical weapons linked to the former Syrian government.

Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013. The OPCW has repeatedly concluded that the previous Syrian authorities failed to fully declare their chemical weapons programme, while its investigations confirmed the use of chemical weapons in the conflict by both former Syrian military forces and the Islamic State group.

By Aghakazim Guliyev