UN reaffirms support for treaty banning chemical weapons

TANZANIA, Tanzania – The U.N. Security Council has reaffirmed strong support for the treaty banning chemical weapons and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons charged with implementing it.

A presidential statement approved by all 15 council members welcomed a Nov. 5 briefing by the head of the OPCW on chemical attacks in Syria and the organization’s co-operation with the U.N.’s most powerful body.

The statement makes no mention of the contentious issue of attribution for chemical attacks, but it does support strong compliance with the convention.

The OPCW voted in June 2018 over Russian objections to identify perpetrators of chemical attacks after Russia used its Security Council veto to terminate the mandate of the U.N.-OPCW team that accused Syria of using chlorine gas and Islamic State extremists of using mustard gas.