Checked Against Delivery
Thank you, Mr. President,
And allow me first to congratulate you on assuming the presidency and on behalf of the whole of Team Denmark, thank you for the kind words. I assure you of Denmarks full support during this month.
I also would like to thank High Representative Nakamitsu for her informative briefing and welcome the Syrian PR to this meeting. We appreciated hearing from you early in the meeting
Since the Council last addressed the situation in Syria just last week, the Danish Foreign Minister travelled to Damascus and reopened our embassy after 14 years of closure. We look forward to enhancing our cooperation with Syria on many important areas, including on the chemical weapons file.
Mr. President,
13 years ago, the international community was shocked, as rockets filled with deadly Sarin killed more than one thousand innocent civilians, including many children in Ghouta.
The images of this appalling attack, of children, the elderly, and entire families killed by an illegal nerve agent stands clear in memory to this day.
We reiterate that there has to be accountability for these heinous crimes.
Today, 13 years later, this Council must stay united. We must strictly enforce the prohibition on chemical weapons, and stand firm in upholding international law and the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Mr. President,
While the road ahead remains challenging, there is cause for optimism.
Over the past 18 months, substantial progress has been achieved. This would not have been possible without the sustained commitment and efforts of the Government of Syria.
The reactivation of Syria’s rights and privileges at the Executive Council of the OPCW in July marks an important milestone for the cooperation between Syria and the OPCW, and we welcome this development.
We also commend the enhanced cooperation between Syria and the IAEA on outstanding safeguards issues in the nuclear field.
Since our last meeting in June, the Syrian military has also uncovered more of the Assad-regime’s hidden chemical weapons programme and have found chemical precursors and materials. All material and facilities must be identified, registered, and destroyed in accordance with international standards. We also welcome that the process of destruction of some materials has now begun, as we heard from the USG Nakamitsu and the PR of Syria.
We commend Syria for working in accordance with OPCW safeguards and working towards closing the file and the remaining 19 outstanding issues.
Mr. President, in closing,
Denmark fully supports the closure of the remaining 19 outstanding issues on this file as soon as possible. However, doing so will require continued and strong international support.
Accountability must be ensured and all perpetrators responsible for chemical attacks must be brought to justice.
Denmark will continue to work within this Council, with international partners, including the Syrian-led “Breath of Freedom” coalition, and the Syrian authorities to build a future Syria free from the scourge of chemical weapons.
Thank you.
