Madam President,

We thank the High Representative Nakamitsu for her continued work on this critical issue.

The latest report of the OPCW Director General, underscores one simple fact:
that the Syrian regime flouts its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, by failing to fully declare and destroy its chemical weapons.

The outstanding issues we have discussed on numerous occasions, persist, namely:

identified gaps;
inconsistencies and;
discrepancies in its chemical weapons declaration.

The information requests of the OPCW remain unanswered.

Furthermore, the regime continues to obstruct the technical consultations with the OPCW Declaration Assessment Team by manipulating and abusing the visa issue.

In addition, the regime refuses to cooperate with, and grant access to the Investigation and Identification Team.

We also take note of the latest two reports of the Fact-Finding Mission which have established the use of chemicals as weapons in Marea, on September 1st, 2015, and Kafr Zeita on October 1st, 2016.

We await further investigation by the Investigation and Identification Team for the identification of the perpetrators.

Madam President,

There is now a growing body of scientific evidence behind the Syrian regime’s continued failure to comply with its international obligations.

The reports of the UN-OPCW Joint Investigation Mechanism as well as the Fact-Finding Mission and the Investigation and Identification Team all point in the same direction.

Such violations have serious repercussions for international peace and security.

Madam President,

It takes a war criminal to use chemical weapons once.

But to use chemical weapons on at least eight separate occasions?
That takes the Asad regime.

Madam President,

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime.

And we once again underscore the special responsibility of those backing the regime in its current course.

The Security Council must speak with unified voice on this grave issue.

The Syrian regime must be urged to fully cooperate with the OPCW.

The perpetrators of those attacks must be identified and brought to justice without further delay.

Impunity for such abhorrent crimes against humanity cannot and should not be tolerated.
Thank you.