Removal and Destruction of Syrian Chemical Weapons

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Removal and Destruction
of
Syrian Chemical Weapons
Chemical Demilitarisation Branch
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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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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 
Ø 
Ø 
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Support base established in Cyprus
OPCW and UN established
coordinated trust funds
Agreement concluded between
OPCW, UN and Syria concerning
status of OPCW-UN Joint Mission
for elimination of Syrian CW
(“SOMA”)
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Declaration of Syrian Chemical Weapons
23 October submission
14 September
accession to the CWC
19 September
Disclosure
§ 
§ 
14 October CWC Entry
of Initial Declaration
2013
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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4
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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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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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Syria CW Programme: Storage of Chemicals
███
Mustard tanks in Storage
facility
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DF tanks and sealed valve
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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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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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Syrian CW programme: Precursors Production
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CW Precursors Production Facility
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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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Inventory and Packing
HF cylinder sealed by OPCW
with IMDG designation
HF tanks before
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HF tanks after packing
inside shipping container
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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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Transfer of chemicals by International Fleet
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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
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§  In-kind contribution by UK
§  Received and completed destruction of 200 tonnes of category 1 & 2
chemicals;
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Cape Ray: Field Deployable Hydrolysis System
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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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Destruction of chemicals Progress
Progress in Destruction of Syrian Chemicals and Related Materials
As of 1 Decmber 2014
Total
Amount
Amount
Destroyed
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
**
● Total amount comprises the quantities of Category 2 chemicals transferred outside of 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);
● Amount destroyed comprises the quantities of Category 2 chemicals destroyed by the commercial facilities
Effluents
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Fluorinated effluents (DF) Ekokem, Finland
Total
Amount
5,867,000 kg
Amount
Destroyed
1,617,320 kg
Effluents containing Sulfur (HD) GEKA, Germany
333,520 kg
120,235 kg
Destroyed (%)
27.6%
36.1%
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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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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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Challenges
§  Internal
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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
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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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Thank You
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