Statement by

H.E. Mr. Amir Saeid Iravani

Ambassador and Permanent Representative

of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

Before the United Nations Security Council

On “The situation in the Middle East: (Syria – Chemical)”

New York, 8 May 2023

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Madam. President,

At the outset, I would like to congratulate Switzerland for its first presidency of the Security Council. I would also like to thank Russia for its successful accomplishment as the Council’s president in the month of April.

We welcome the presence of Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN high representative for disarmament affairs at today's briefing.

Madam. President,

As the main victim of chemical weapons, the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, and under any circumstances. The use of chemical weapons is a serious violation of international law and a crime against humanity. It constitutes a threat to international peace and security.

Our people will never forget the role that some Western countries played in assisting the Saddam regime in the systematic use of chemical weapons against the Iranian people during Iraq's imposed war against Iran. Some Western countries either remained silent or were complicit in such atrocities. Because of their harmful actions and double standards, the UN Security Council was unable to carry out its based charter duties to take effective action to hold perpetrators accountable for such atrocious crimes.

It is disturbing to see these double standards and detrimental practices continue to persist, as evidenced by the politicization of the Convention and the OPCW for short-sighted political gain. Such an approach not only risks creating divisions among member states but also undermines the credibility and legitimacy of the disarmament machinery.

Madam. President,

The Syrian Arab Republic remains committed to its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. In line with this commitment, the Syrian government has continued its constructive cooperation with OPCW.

Syria has submitted its 112th and 113th monthly reports to the OPCW Director-General, outlining its activities related to the destruction of chemical weapons and their production facilities.

Moreover, a reduced team from the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT) visited Syria twice: the first from 17 to 22 January of this year, and the second from 12 to 19 April, during which the Syrian National Authority provided the necessary facilitation to ensure the success of the work of this team. Also, consultations took place between the two sides, and many aspects related to some outstanding issues were discussed, facilitating the visit of some sites, collecting samples, and interviewing witnesses.

Madam. President,

The use of chemical weapons by terrorist organizations poses a grave threat, which the Syrian Arab Republic has repeatedly expressed its concern about.

Such a threat should not be ignored or undervalued and requires condemnation as well as an immediate action to prevent these weapons out of terrorists' hands.

Madam, President,

We support constructive dialogue between Syria and the OPCW at the highest level, with a specific time frame to resolve outstanding issues and finally close the file.

However, any investigation must be impartial, professional, credible, and objective, and must fully comply with the Convention's requirements and procedures.

Furthermore, it is crucial that the OPCW remains a neutral and objective international body, guided solely by scientific and technical considerations, in its efforts to prevent the use of chemical weapons and promote the goals of the Convention.

We call on all member states to uphold the principles of the Convention and work together to ensure the impartiality, professionalism, and integrity of the OPCW.

And finally, Madam. President, continuing to convene monthly meetings on the Syrian chemical file, despite no new developments, where some members repeat previous claims against the Syrian Arab Republic, is not constructive.

The political approach and using double standards in this file can only jeopardize the process of addressing unresolved issues and will only serve to detract from the technical nature of the discussions at hand.

I thank you, Madam. President