80% chemical weapon materials destroyed in Syria – UN

Stephane Dujarric, UN Spokesman, said on Tuesday that 80 per cent of the chemical weapon materials have been destroyed or shipped out of Syria, since the destruction began in early January.

He added that Syria has further completed destruction of empty mustard gas containers, and made progress in closing chemical weapons production and storage sites.



Dujarric said this was as a result of a resolution adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council in September last year to rid the war-torn Middle East country of its chemical weapons.

He said under the resolution, Joint Mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was mandated to oversee the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons materials.

Sigrid Kaag, Special coordinator, OPCW said that further engagement was expected to sustain momentum and to complete removal operations in the next few days.

He said this was with a view to concluding the entire elimination of the country’s chemical weapons programme within the deadlines set by the OPCW Executive Council.

Kaag said this was aimed at contributing to meeting the deadlines set by the OPCW Executive Council, including the June 30 target date for completing the destruction of Syria’s entire chemical weapons program.

“The renewed pace in movements is positive and necessary to ensure progress towards a tight deadline,” he said.