UN / SYRIA CHEMICAL WEAPONS

STORY: UN / SYRIA CHEMICAL WEAPONS
TRT: 02:53
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 06 MARCH 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

RECENT – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations

06 MARCH 2023, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Nakamitsu at dais, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations:
“Efforts by the OPCW Declaration Assessment Team (or DAT) to clarify all outstanding issues regarding the initial declaration and subsequent declarations of the Syrian Arab Republic have not progressed since the Council last met on this matter. Unfortunately, all efforts by the OPCW Technical Secretariat to organise the next round of consultations between the DAT and the Syrian National Authority continue to be unsuccessful.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations:
“Considering the identified gaps, inconsistencies, and discrepancies that remain unresolved, at this time the OPCW Technical Secretariat assesses that the declaration submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic still cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.”
6. Med shot, Council members
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations:
“I have been advised that the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission, or FFM, continues to study all available information related to allegations of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic. In this context, I understand that the FFM deployed to the Syrian Arab Republic from 6 to 12 November 2022 and is currently preparing upcoming deployments.”
8. Med shot, Council members
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations:
“The Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) also continues its investigations into incidents in which the FFM has determined that chemical weapons were used or likely used in the Syrian Arab Republic.”
10. Close up, Security Council president
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Bassam Sabbagh, Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations:
“Ignoring the constructive and fruitful cooperation carried out by the Syrian National Authority during the past years, and all the facilities it has provided to the various teams of the OPCW, and the fact that some countries are launching campaigns to question Syria’s initial declaration and making false accusations regarding Syria’s failure to implement its commitment, in addition to refraining in many cases from referring to the positive results which are being achieved, all these are clear indications of the extent of politicization in the work of the OPCW.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council


STORYLINE:

The UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, told the Security Council that competent authorities continue investigations into incidents in which it has been determined that chemical weapons were used or likely used in the Syrian Arab Republic.

Addressing the Council on Monday (6 Mar), Nakamitsu said the investigadores are being conducted by the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact-Finding Mission.


The UN High Representative said she had “been advised that the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission, or FFM, continues to study all available information related to allegations of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic.”

In this context, she added, the FFM deployed to the Syrian Arab Republic from 6 to 12 November 2022 and is “currently preparing upcoming deployments.”

Nakamitsu also said that “efforts by the OPCW Declaration Assessment Team (or DAT) to clarify all outstanding issues regarding the initial declaration and subsequent declarations of the Syrian Arab Republic have not progressed since the Council last met on this matter.”

“Unfortunately, all efforts by the OPCW Technical Secretariat to organise the next round of consultations between the DAT and the Syrian National Authority continue to be unsuccessful,” the High Representative added.

Nakamitsu also told the Council that “considering the identified gaps, inconsistencies, and discrepancies that remain unresolved, at this time the OPCW Technical Secretariat assesses that the declaration submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic still cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.”

Representing Syria, Permanent Representative Bassam Sabbagh referred to the “ignoring” of the “constructive and fruitful cooperation carried out by the Syrian National Authority during the past years, and all the facilities it has provided to the various teams of the OPCW”.

Sabbagh also mentioned “the fact that some countries are launching campaigns to question Syria’s initial declaration and making false accusations regarding Syria’s failure to implement its commitment and the “refraining in many cases from referring to the positive results which are being achieved” to say that “all these are clear indications of the extent of politicization in the work of the OPCW.”