In response to persistent allegations of chemical weapon attacks in Syria, the OPCW Fact Finding Mission (FFM) was set up in 2014 “to establish facts surrounding allegations of the use of toxic chemicals, reportedly chlorine, for hostile purposes in the Syrian Arab Republic”.
The FFM is required to study available information relating to allegations of use of chemical weapons in Syria, including information provided by the Syrian Arab Republic and others.
Since May 2014, the OPCW has deployed the FFM on numerous occasions to the Syrian Arab Republic and outside of Syria and has kept States Parties informed of its work. The FFM interviews witnesses and obtains samples and physical evidence for analysis.
In 2015, the OPCW Executive Council and the UN Security Council endorsed the continual operation of the FFM.
Since its establishment, the FFM has looked into several incidents of allegations of use of chemical weapons in Syria. The FFM has confirmed with “high degree of confidence” that Chlorine and Mustard were used as weapons in Syria. These reports were submitted to States Parties of the CWC and the UN Security Council.
The FFM’s findings were the basis for the work of the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), an independent body established by the UN Security Council (Resolution 2235, 7 August 2015). The JIM’s purpose was to identify the perpetrators of the chemical weapon attacks confirmed by the Fact Finding Mission. The JIM’s mandate expired in November 2017.
Reports
Updates
| Document Symbol | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| s/1677/2018 | Note by the Technical Secretariat: Summary Update of the Activities Carried out by the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission in Syria | 10 October 2018 |
| EC‑M‑59/DG.2 | Update by the Director-General on the Deployment of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission to Douma, Syrian Arab Republic, to the Executive Council at its Fifty-Ninth Meeting | 18 April 2018 |
| S/1497/2017 | Status Update of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission in Syria Regarding a Reported Incident in Khan Shaykhun, 4 April 2017 | 12 May 2017 |
Related
| Document Symbol | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| EC‑88/DG.22/Corr.1 | Opening Statement by the Director-General to the Executive Council at its Eighty-Eighth Session – Corrigendum | 16 July 2018 |
| EC‑88/DG.22 | Opening Statement by the Director-General to the Executive Council at its Eighty-Eighth Session | 10 July 2018 |
| EC‑85/DG.16 | First Inspections at the Barzah and Jamrayah Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre Facilities in the Syrian Arab Republic in Accordance with Decision EC-83/DEC.5 (dated 11 November 2016) | 2 June 2017 |
| S/1255/2015*/Add.1 | Future Activities of the Fact-Finding Mission – Addendum | 13 March 2015 |
| S/1255/2015* | Future Activities of the Fact-Finding Mission | 10 March 2015 |
Related News
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OPCW Issues Fact-Finding Mission Reports on Chemical Weapons Use Allegations in Douma, Syria in 2018 and in Al-Hamadaniya and Karm Al-Tarrab in 2016
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CWC Conference of the States Parties Adopts Decision Addressing the Threat from Chemical Weapons Use
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OPCW Confirms Use of Sarin and Chlorine in Ltamenah, Syria, on 24 and 25 March 2017
