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12.09.2025 Statement by Denmark at the UNSC briefing on Syria (chemical weapons)

Who Deputy Permanent Representative, Ambassador Sandra Jensen Landi
Who Deputy Permanent Representative, Ambassador Sandra Jensen Landi
When 12.09.2025

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Thank you, Mr. President,


I also thank High Representative Nakamitsu for her briefing and I welcome the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to our meeting. Ambassador Olabi, I know that you have worked closely with the OPCW, and we look forward to hearing from you.


I would also like to welcome the representative of Türkie to this meeting.

 

Colleagues,

 

All of us around this table remember the Assad regime’s deplorable use of chemical weapons over the last decades.

 

Assad was responsible for the development of a secret chemical weapons programme and for the use of it openly to quell any opposition and to attack innocent civilians.

 

With this tragic history in mind, we acknowledge the enormity of the task at hand for the Syrian transitional government.

 

We therefore urge all actors to extend all technical and financial assistance to Syria and to the OPCW in sharing this burden.

 

As Denmark has stated before, it is not only in Syria’s interest to eliminate all chemical weapons and to uphold the Chemical Weapons Convention. It is a common interest for all nations.

 

Mr. President,

 

Turning to progress on this file. We are encouraged by the recent positive steps taken by the OPCW and the Syrian transitional government.

 

The constructive and close cooperation between the Syrian transitional government and the OPCW is very welcome.

 

The recent visits by the Technical Secretariat to Syria is also cause for optimism.

 

We hope the recently concluded agreement between Syria and the OPCW concerning immunities and freedom of movement in Syria can pave the way for more frequent and extensive visits.

 

We are confident that the proposed destruction plan presented by Qatar to the OPCW this week will help to increase the momentum on this file.

 

Mr. President, in closing and with these developments in mind,

 

We reiterate our hope to make further progress towards concluding the chemical weapons file as rapidly as possible.

 

At the same time, uncovering the full scope of the Syrian weapons programme and assuring accountability for perpetrators must take priority.

 

We encourage the OPCW and the Syrian transitional government to continue to work diligently towards these ends.

 

I thank you.