Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Minister Counsellor, at the UN
Security Council meeting on Syria.
"The last time this Council met to discuss chemical weapons in
Syria, Bashar al-Assad was still in power.
Two days later, he fled and his brutal regime was overthrown.
The fall of Assad marks a new chapter for Syria and presents a
golden opportunity to destroy his remaining chemical weapons
programme, verified by the Organisation for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons.
However, the situation in Syria is fragile and we must make sure
we seize this window of opportunity to remove the threat posed by
these weapons once and for all.
The UK is concerned about recent clashes in Syria, which must not
be allowed to escalate into wider violence. We urge all parties
to refrain from further violence and exercise restraint at this
critical time.
The OPCW Director-General's visit to Damascus on 8 February was
an important step forward.
And we are greatly encouraged by the commitments already made by
the Syrian interim authorities to fully cooperate with the OPCW
and to secure chemical weapons sites.
The attendance of Syria's interim Foreign Minister, at the OPCW's
Executive Council this week was a very significant moment.
We welcome his renewed commitments on chemical weapons, including
to “put an end to this painful legacy and ensure Syria becomes a
nation aligned with international norms.”
The next step is to support Syria to meet its obligations under
the Chemical Weapons Convention, including to declare and destroy
remaining chemical weapons stockpiles working with the OPCW.
The OPCW Director-General set out the scale of the challenge
ahead to the OPCW's Executive Council this week.
And this Council has an important role to play in supporting the
OPCW's work.
First, we underscore the importance of implementation of the
Chemical Weapons Convention alongside the full implementation of
Security Council Resolution 2118.
Second, the international community must provide the financial
and technical assistance to the OPCW that it needs.
The UK has committed more than $1m to the OPCW Syria Missions
since the fall of Assad to support their immediate work.
Finally, as Syria's interim authorities seek to bring stability
to the country and address security threats, it is vital that
Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected.
This is why we urge Israel to de-escalate their actions in
Syria.
Such military action risks destabilising an already fragile
security situation.
We call on all parties to provide the safe conditions for the
OPCW to conduct its work.
Madam President, with political will from the new authorities in
Syria and this Council, there is an opportunity to deal with this
issue once and for all, and to finally achieve the total
elimination of chemical weapons in Syria.
We must take that opportunity."
