More Chemical Arms Material Leaves Syria, Joint OPCW-UN Mission Confirms
New York, Feb 10 2014 - A third shipment of chemical weapons material was removed from Syria today, the Joint Mission of
the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations confirmed.
“The Syrian Arab Republic is encouraged to expedite systematic, predictable and high-volume movements to complete the
safe removal of chemical materials,” the OPCW-UN joint mission said in a note to journalists.
Accompanied by naval escorts from China, Denmark, Norway and Russia, the Norwegian cargo vessel ship is sailing for
international waters where it will be met by British naval escorts. In addition, Finnish experts are onboard the Danish
vessel.
Also today, the OPCW-UN mission confirmed that in-country destruction of some chemical materials has taken place.
The removal of the chemical agents out of the country involves transporting them to the port of Latakia and onto
commercial vessels provided by some Member States. They are then loaded onto a United States ship and will be destroyed
at sea using hydrolysis.
In accordance with the decisions of the Security Council and OPCW Executive Council, Syria’s chemical weapons are being
transported outside its territory to ensure their destruction in the “safest and soonest manner,” and no later than 30
June 2014.
Despite delays reported by Joint Mission Special Coordinator Sigrid Kaag, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced hope last
week that the 30 June target date for completion would be met.
The removal of the most critical material for destruction began in early January, in line with an agreement brokered by
Russia and the United States under which Syria renounced its chemical weapons material and joined 1992 Convention on the
Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons.
The Mission said that it “welcomes progress to date” and reiterated its continued close working relationship with the
Syrian Government and Member States to implement Security Council Resolution 2118 and decisions of the OPCW.
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
ENDS