On the 25th anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)’s introduction, the United States accused Syria on Friday of violating the treaty and blocking inspectors.

“The Assad dictatorship has used chemical weapons against its own people on at least eight occasions since joining the convention,” said Richard M. Mills Jr., the United States’ deputy ambassador to the United Nations.

“And the situation gets much bleaker from there. “The US believes the Assad regime has used chemical weapons at least 50 occasions since the Syrian crisis began,” he continued.

“Syria, as a CWC state party, pledged to completely reveal the specific location, aggregate quantity, and detailed inventory of chemical weapons it possesses, but as we’ve heard countless times… “Syria’s declaration is still incomplete and inaccurate.”

“Despite Syria’s admission to the CWC, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons continues to document cases of chemical weapons use in Syria,” Izumi Nakamitsu, UN undersecretary-general for disarmament affairs, told the Security Council.

“This council has not fulfilled its responsibility to hold the perpetrators of these horrible atrocities accountable,” she added.

While the regime consented to limited negotiations in Beirut, Nakamitsu said the OPCW had yet to receive documentation about Syria’s remaining stocks, a March 2021 attack on a military station, and a 2018 strike on the city of Douma. She also stated that the government had refused to give a visa to a vital inspector.

“The Syrian Arab Republic has consented to the restricted round of consultations while demanding the exclusion of one OPCW secretariat specialist,” she explained.

“Until these lingering questions are resolved, the international community cannot be certain that Syria’s entire chemical weapons programme has been dismantled.”

Syrian Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh said the inspector in question had been denied access because of a “lack of objectivity and professionalism.” He accused the OPCW and the CWC of political bias.

Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said the convention had become a “punitive” instrument wielded in the interests of a “narrow group of countries” against Syria.

“At its 25th anniversary, the OPCW has very serious systemic problems and a tarnished reputation,” he added.

“Russia unconditionally supports the CWC and is committed to its letter and spirit. What gives rise to question to us is how its provisions are being implemented by the OPCW.”

Mills, though, said: “In the face of irrefutable proof documented by the meticulous work of the OPCW that Syria is flouting its CWC obligation, the Assad regime in this chamber hurls preposterous accusations of bias at the OPCW independent and professional experts in a failed effort to immune them and distract from proven facts.”

The UK, China and others also accused Syria of not cooperating with the international community, with France calling its use of chemical weapons “odious.”

The UAE said while the CWC had succeeded in securing the disposal of “99 percent” of the world’s chemical weapons, they were being sought by terrorist groups such as Daesh.

“As we have recently witnessed in Al-Hasakah, terrorist groups continue to develop their methods of attack, and seek to obtain advanced weapons such as chemical weapons to achieve their nefarious goals,” said Mohamed Abushahab, the UAE’s deputy permanent representative.

“Accordingly, we stress the importance of continuing our fight against Daesh in Syria and elsewhere … to prevent them from acquiring chemical weapons.”

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