Statement by H.E. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi

Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

On “The situation in the Middle East – Syria / chemical”

Before the United Nations Security Council

New York, 5 October 2020

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

Mr. President,

First, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of October.

As a major victim in contemporary history of the use of chemical weapons, Iran continues to condemn in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere and under any circumstances.

Iran also reiterates its call for the balanced, full and non-discriminatory implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and for upholding the authority of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

In the past several years, based on unsubstantiated allegations, the processes of the CWC, the OPCW and the Security Council have been used abusively against the Syrian Government.

However, it is a fact that, in her final report to the Security Council, in 2014, the Special Coordinator of the OPCW-United Nations Joint Mission confirmed that Syria had fulfilled all its commitments and that its entire chemical stockpile had been destroyed.

Later, the OPCW also confirmed the destruction of Syria’s entire chemical stockpile and all its 27 production facilities. Now, these facts — as well as the Syrian Government’s significant cooperation with the OPCW and the United Nations, including its having provided to the OPCW over 80 monthly reports and a large amount of information — are being overlooked.

Such an unproductive approach has not contributed to the resolution of the outstanding questions. Rather, it has divided the Security Council, eroded the OPCW’s credibility and weakened the professionalism of that organization and its consensual decision-making process.

Additionally, it has adversely affected efforts aimed at the full and effective realization of the very purpose of the CWC, namely, the elimination of chemical weapons, which has yet to be realized owing to the blatant failure of the United States as the sole major possessor State party to the Convention.

To avoid this situation, the current trend in the Security Council and the OPCW, which has been initiated solely based on certain countries’ politically motivated objectives, needs to be discontinued.

We stand ready to do whatever is in our power to do to restore the OPCW’s authority and promote the full and non-discriminatory implementation of the CWC.

I thank you, Mr. President.