Mr. President,
I would like to thank the Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Mr. Adedeji Ebo, for his briefing. I welcome the presence among us of the Permanent Representative of Syria.
Mr. President,
The political transition that began 13 months ago in Syria with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime generates tremendous hope.
France is committed to supporting the Syrian authorities in conducting a peaceful and inclusive transition that respects the rights of all components of Syrian society, in the spirit of the principles enshrined in Security Council Resolution 2254.
This political transition offers a historic opportunity to achieve the chemical disarmament of Syria and to ensure accountability for the use of these inhumane weapons, which the Assad regime has used repeatedly against its own population.
In 2025, a dynamic of cooperation began between Syria and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Mr. President,
The OPCW teams were able to carry out several deployments in Syria. One can note specifically the deployment of the team tasked with investigating and identifying those responsible for the use of chemical weapons, which is now incorporated into the OPCW’s Special Operations Office.
In November, in another notable development, Syria appointed a new ambassador to the OPCW at The Hague.
We welcome the commitment undertaken by the Syrian transitional authorities to open a new chapter with the OPCW and to finally move forward, in accordance with their international obligations, towards the complete and verifiable elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons program.
Mr. President,
There are significant challenges which persist in meeting the expectations of the international community:
First, the challenges related to the legacy of the Assad regime.
Due to the Assad regime’s numerous omissions, Syria’s national declaration on the status of its chemical program still cannot be considered accurate and complete in light of the requirements of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
This was reiterated in the latest report by the Director-General of the OPCW, which highlights that 19 questions relating to this declaration remain unanswered, potentially concerning significant stocks of military chemical agents.
The OPCW also estimates that around 100 undeclared sites may have been involved in activities related to Syria’s chemical program.
Secondly, there are challenges related to the conditions under which the elimination of the remainder of the former regime’s chemical program is being resumed.
We are not in a situation where the regime, or the governments, having developed a program themselves, are deciding to dismantle it, since Bashar al-Assad’s regime has always refused to do so. The know-how is therefore fragmented and the former expertise is no longer available, which complicates the tasks to be accomplished.
Mr. President,
In this context, which is also marked by major economic and financial needs in Syria, France stresses the importance of two elements:
first, the Syrian authorities must remain fully engaged in full and complete cooperation with the OPCW. France will be vigilant in this regard;
second, the international community must provide resolute technical and financial support to help the Syrian authorities fulfill their obligations and tackle the very unique challenges I mentioned a moment ago.
France reiterates its support for the OPCW teams, as demonstrated by our contribution to the special fund for Syria in 2025.
At the last Conference of States Parties to the CWC in November, France supported the decision to delegate to the OPCW Executive Council the power to restore Syria’s rights and privileges as a State Party, which had been suspended in 2021.
The prospective restoration of these rights and privileges will be an important step in Syria’s reintegration into the international community. In order to achieve this goal, substantial progress must continue to be made through cooperation with the OPCW and towards the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons program.
Thank you.