Iran Urges OPCW to Act Impartially, Professionally on Syria
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian envoy to the UN called on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to keep a non-political approach to the case of Syria, stressing that any investigation into the use of chemical weapons must be impartial, professional and credible.
“Iran once again condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons anywhere, by anyone, at any time, and under any circumstances.We underscore once more that any investigation into the use of chemical weapons must be impartial, professional, credible, and objective, and must fully comply with the requirements and procedures of the Chemical Weapons Convention,” Saeed Iravani said in an address to a UN Security Council meeting on ‘the situation in the Middle East: (Syria – Chemical)’, held in New York on Monday.
“Equally crucial, the OPCW must be able to perform its duties in an impartial, professional, and objective manner to establish facts and develop evidence-based conclusions. We reiterate our call that the Convention must be implemented fully, effectively, and without discrimination. We believe that politicizing the application of the Convention and exploiting the OPCW for political reasons endangers the credibility of both the Organization and the Convention,” the Iranian ambassador underlined.
“As a committed party to the Convention, the Syrian Arab Republic continues to uphold its commitments and cooperate closely with the OPCW,” he stated.
“The Syrian National Authority not only submitted monthly reports detailing activities within Syria but also actively facilitated the 26th round of consultations for the Declaration Assessment Team, held from January 23rd to February 1st, 2024, by providing necessary facilities for the team's mission to succeed. Additionally, the Syrian National Authority facilitated the tenth round of inspections of the Scientific Studies and Research Center in December 2023. The reports of the Technical Secretariat confirm that Syria provided the required assistance, access, and support, including administrative and logistical matters as requested by the inspection team to implement its objectives,” Iravani added.
He then called on certain countries to refrain from making baseless political accusations against Syria or premature judgments before the conclusion of such consultations, saying, “We support the continued constructive dialogue between Syria and the OPCW to address any remaining issues and bring the file to a final and conclusive resolution.”
“We regret that certain Western countries have pursued the adoption of a contentious and politicized resolution during the 28th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention,” the envoy deplored.
“We call on constructive efforts of the Security Council and expect a positive role from the Council members,” he concluded.
