UNITED NATIONS, (PNA/APP) — The Security Council on Friday called for the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons, while endorsing a diplomatic plan for Syrian-led negotiations toward peace.
Through the unanimous adoption of resolution 2118 (2013), the 15-member Council called for the speedy implementation of procedures drawn up by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, “for the expeditious destruction of the Syrian Arab Republic’s chemical weapons program and stringent verification thereof”.
“Today’s resolution will ensure that the elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons program happens as soon as possible and with the utmost transparency and accountability,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Council following the adoption of the resolution.
The resolution was based on a deal struck this month between the United States and Russia that averted an American military strike over allegations the Syrian government used sarin nerve gas in an August 21 attack on a Damascus suburb that U.S. officials said left at least 1,400 people dead.
The Syrian government denied the allegation and instead accused the rebels of having used chemical weapons.
In the text, the Council underscored, “that no party in Syria should use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain, or transfer chemical weapons”.
Defiance of the resolution, including unauthorized transfer of chemical weapons, or any use of chemical weapons by anyone in Syria, would bring about measures under the UN Charter’s binding Chapter VII, which can include sanctions or stronger coercive action, the Council said.
The 15-member body added that it would work with the OPCW in deploying a chemical weapons, ‘monitoring and destruction team’ expecting the full cooperation of the Syrian Government, and it appealed to UN Member States for support, including personnel, expertise, funding and equipment.
It also authorized Member States to acquire, control, transport, transfer and destroy chemical weapons identified by the Director-General of the OPCW, in a way consistent with the Chemical Weapons Convention and the interest of non-proliferation.
“Today’s historic resolution is the first hopeful news on Syria in a long time,” Ban said.
“For many months, I have said that the confirmed use of chemical weapons in Syria would require a firm, united response.“Tonight, the international community has delivered,” he stated.
“As we mark this important step, we must never forget that the catalogue of horrors in Syria continues with bombs and tanks, grenades and guns,” Ban added.
“A red light for one form of weapons does not mean a green light for others. This is not a license to kill with conventional weapons. All the violence must end. All the guns must fall silent”.
Earlier on Friday, the secretary-general’s spokesperson said that the UN team led by Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom has been able to resume its fact-finding activities related to all pending credible allegations of chemical weapons use, following its return to Syria this week.
Those allegations include, he said, the 19 March incident at Khan al-Asal, reported first by Syria and subsequently by other Member States.
As previously agreed with Syria, the other allegations to be investigated include the 13 April incident at Sheikh Maqsud, reported by the United States, and the 29 April incident at Saraqueb, reported by France and the United Kingdom.