Working together for a world free of chemical weapons
Removal and Destruction of Syrian Chemical Weapons
Chemical Demilitarisation Branch
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons
UN Investigation of CW Use in Syria § UN team (including OPCW and WHO experts) arrived in Damascus on 18 August 2013 § Alleged chemical attack occurred in suburb of Damascus on 21 August 2013 § UN team accessed sites of alleged attack from 26 to 29 August 2013 Ø Team took samples, interviewed witnesses and examined munitions Ø A UN led Investigation report (released in September 2013) concluded that CW was used Ø UN Team had no Mandate to investigate who did the attack
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Operation Platform: OPCW-UN Joint Mission § As a result of OPCW Executive Council decision and UN Security Council Resolution: § OPCW-UN Joint Mission was established in October 2013 Ø Support base established in Cyprus Ø OPCW and UN established coordinated trust funds Ø Agreement concluded between OPCW, UN and Syria concerning status of OPCW-UN Joint Mission for elimination of Syrian CW (“SOMA”)
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Declaration of Syrian Chemical Weapons
14 September 23 October submission accession to the CWC of Initial Declaration
19 September 2013 14 October CWC Entry Disclosure into Force
§ Syria declared possession of Chemical Weapons, Chemical Weapons Production Facilities, Abandoned Chemical Weapons, other CW-related facilities and Riot Control Agents, import of chemicals for Chemical Weapons program and for industrial purposes. § Ten (10) amendments to initial declaration received until 1 December 2014
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8 December 2014
Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Syria Chemical Weapons Inspections § Objectives: Elimination of Syrian CWs and Verification of Syrian Declarations: § Initial inspections of CW production and storage facilities § Destruction of CW production capabilities § Destruction of CW munitions and some chemicals on-site § Planning for removal of chemicals from Syria in order for quick destruction § 30-35 OPCW inspectors organised as multidisciplinary inspection teams plus supporting staff in Damascus § Security situation in Syria: serious impacts on planning but manageable
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Syria CW Programme: Declared Chemicals Category 1 chemicals: § Seven (7) different chemicals § Chemical warfare agents or chemicals used in the binary chemical weapon systems § Approximately 1,040 tonnes
Category 2 chemicals: § Thirteen (13) different chemicals § Approximately 260 tonnes
§ Approximately 1,300 tonnes total declared chemicals
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Syria CW Programme: Storage of Chemicals
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Mustard tanks in Storage facility DF tanks and sealed valve www.opcw.org
Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Syria CW Programme: Storage Facilities § Syria declared twelve (12) Chemical Weapons Storage Facilities (CWSFs) § OPCW inventoried all declared chemicals in CWSFs § OPCW verified that all declared chemicals were removed from CWSFs and CWSFs were closed § OPCW verified that all declared chemicals were removed from Syria (except Isopropanol destroyed inside Syria)
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Syria CW Programme: Production Facilities § Syria declared twenty-seven (27) Chemical Weapons Production Facility (CWPF); § Such facilities were render not operational when Syria acceded the Treaty; § All production equipment were verified as destroyed on October and November 2013; § OPCW verified so far the destruction of thirteen (13) CWPFs § Eight mobile units § Five above-ground structures
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons
Syrian CW programme: Precursors Production
CW Precursors Production Facility www.opcw.org
Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Transfer of Chemicals Outside of Syria § Syria packed and transferred chemicals from storage sites to Port of Latakia by road, using equipment provided by the Assisting States Parties and UN § OPCW verified that all chemicals were inventoried, packed and moved to port of Latakia; § OPCW verified the leaving chemicals in Port of Latakia: § Random sampling and on-site analysis for agent characterisation § Verification of OPCW applied seals on drums, tanks, cylinders and maritime containers used to carry chemicals § Visual observation
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Inventory and Packing
HF cylinder sealed by OPCW with IMDG designation
HF tanks after packing inside shipping container HF tanks before
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Transfer Operation: International Fleet § Taiko: § Norwegian vessel carried category 1 and 2 chemicals to Finland and category two chemicals to US § ArkFutura § Danish vessel carried category 1 chemicals (DF and HD) for tarnsloading to Cape Ray. In addition, some category 1 chemicals and 2 chemicals to UK and Finland § Cape Ray: § US vessel equipped with Field Deployable Hydrolysis System to neutralise DF and HD on board
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Transfer of chemicals by International Fleet
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Chemicals Destruction Outside of Syria Destruction of chemicals was organised through in-kind contribution of some States Parties (US, UK and Germany) or in commercial disposal facilities (Finland and US) § Cape Ray-US vessel § In-kind contribution by US § Received and completed destruction of 20 tonnes of sulfur mustard and 580 tonnes of DF § Ekokem-Finland § Commercial facility selected by tender process § Received and completed destruction of 320 tonnes of category 1 & 2 chemicals § Destroying DF effluents resulted from Cape Ray operation (28% progress) § Ellesmere Port High Temperature Incinerator-UK § In-kind contribution by UK § Received and completed destruction of 200 tonnes of category 1 & 2 www.opcw.org chemicals;
Working together for a world free of chemical weapons
Cape Ray: Field Deployable Hydrolysis System
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Destruction outside of Syria § Mexichem-UK § In-kind contribution by UK § Will destroy 7 tonnes of HF by January 2015 § Veolia ES Technical Solutions- US § Commercial facility selected by tender process; § Received 65 tonnes of category 2 chemicals § Completed 65% of destruction § GEKA, Munster-Germany § In-kind contribution by Germany § Destroying HD effluents resulted from Cape Ray operation (36% progress)
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Destruction of chemicals Progress Progress in Destruction of Syrian Chemicals and Related Materials As of 1 Decmber 2014
Total Amount Destroyed (%) Amount Destroyed Total Category 1* 1,046,981 kg 1,046,981 kg 100.0%
Total Category 2** 261,040 kg 231,856 kg 88.8%
Total Chemicals (Cat. 1 and 2) 1,308,021 kg 1,278,837 kg 97.8%
* ● Total amount comprises the quantities of Category 1 chemicals which have been transferred outside of Syria and which have already been destroyed in Syria (isopropanol). ● Amount destroyed comprises the quantities of Category 1 chemicals destroyed outside Syria (by the commercial facilities and on the Cape Ray) and destroyed in Syria (isopropanol);
** ● Total amount comprises the quantities of Category 2 chemicals transferred outside of Syria ● Amount destroyed comprises the quantities of Category 2 chemicals destroyed by the commercial facilities
Total Amount Destroyed (%) Amount Destroyed Effluents Fluorinated effluents (DF) Ekokem, Finland 5,867,000 kg 1,617,320 kg 27.6%
Effluents containing Sulfur (HD) GEKA, Germany 333,520 kg 120,235 kg 36.1%
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Conclusions § OPCW since November 2013: § Inspected all Syrian Chemical Weapons Storage Facilities and verified that all were emptied § Verified that 100% of declared chemicals were either destroyed in Syria or removed form its territory § Verified that 98% of removed chemicals have been destroyed § Verified that all accessible Chemical Weapons Production Facilities were inspected and disarmed; § Verified that half of production facilities were destroyed and the other half are planned to be destroyed by 2015
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Complete Chemical Demilitarisation: Way Forward § OPCW continues verification of another fourteen (14) CWPFs yet to be destroyed by 2015 § Five tunnels § Seven hangers § Two structures (not accessible currently due to their location within the anti- government forces controlled areas) § Declarations Assessment Team
§ Fact Finding Mission
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons Challenges § Internal § Unprecedented operation for OPCW § Time constraints due to Executive Council expedited timelines § Unforeseen situations made planning difficult § Lack of some of required expertise and technical skills within TS § Legal interpretations/ Treaty complications § Lack of required policies § External § Political pressure and debate between States Parties § Security situation in Syria § Public Opinion, NGOs, Social Media § Logistics challenge § International Maritime Regulations
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Working together for a world free of chemical weapons
Thank You
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