The global chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), convened an emergency session Thursday in The Hague to assess chemical weapons concerns in Syria. The meeting was prompted by the overthrow of President Bashar Assad and recent rebel advances into Damascus. The OPCW reminded Syria of its obligations to secure and dismantle chemical stockpiles, including chlorine gas.
This urgent assembly is a rare action by the OPCW's executive council, last seen in 2018 following a deadly gas attack in Douma. It aims to allow OPCW inspectors more access to investigate Syria's chemical weapons activities under a potentially new government. Meanwhile, Syria's former government officials are reportedly planning a power transition to a new cabinet, potentially impacting compliance with international chemical weapons regulations.
Historically, the OPCW has found evidence of chemical weapon use in Syria's prolonged conflict, despite denials from Assad's regime. The OPCW also revealed evidence of mustard gas deployment by the Islamic State group. Syria became an OPCW member in 2013, following chemical attacks near Damascus, to avoid further international military retaliation. With 193 member states, the OPCW's mission, established in 1997 by the Chemical Weapons Convention, is to eradicate chemical weapons globally, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for these efforts. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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