Photo UN/E. Debebe UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu speaks at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria. Security Council: Nakamitsu reports progress in eliminating Syrian chemical weapons Peace and security
The UN Security Council held a meeting on Thursday devoted to the situation in Syria: several months ago, stockpiles of previously undeclared chemical weapons were discovered in the country.
UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu told the Council that cooperation between the new Syrian authorities and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has made significant progress in addressing the residual elements of the former government’s chemical weapons program.
Following the discovery of previously undeclared weapons in May 2026, Syria amended its original 2013 declaration to include an additional production facility, a chemical used to make nerve agents, empty ammunition, and two stockpiles. Subsequent inspections confirmed the accuracy of the declarations and demonstrated irreversibility. The destruction of 42 aircraft bombs was the first confirmed destruction of Syrian chemical munitions since 2014. The Organization’s Executive Council also restored Syria’s rights and privileges under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
However, Nakamitsu noted that serious problems remain in Syria, including those related to potentially undeclared or untested chemicals and ammunition.
Reminding the Security Council of victims of the 2013 Ghouta chemical attacks, she stressed the need to hold accountable those responsible for using chemical weapons, and to support efforts to maintain a global ban on these weapons. appeared in early June.
The country’s new government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, worked closely with OPCW inspectors who visited Syria in May, facilitating access to sites and providing relevant documentation, which made this breakthrough possible.