OPCW Statement on Alleged Chemical Weapons in Syria

In regard to reports in the media concerning the possible use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict, the Director-General of the OPCW, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, has issued the following statement:

“The OPCW echoes the view of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that it would be ‘reprehensible’ if anybody was contemplating the use of weapons of mass destruction, like chemical weapons, in Syria. The prohibition on the use of chemical weapons is established in international law and, if stockpiles of chemical weapons exist and there is the possibility they may be deployed, this is a matter of grave concern to the international community as a whole. The Chemical Weapons Convention prohibits the development, production, stockpiling or use of these weapons and today has 188 States Parties. As we stated in our press release of 18 July, the OPCW is following media reports and other published information on Syria and will continue to monitor developments there closely.”