Elimination of Syria's CW will have to go beyond June 30 deadline - Ban

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon late Friday acknowledged that some activities related to the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons (CW) programme will have to continue beyond the June 30 deadline, and therefore a limited extra time will be needed to finish the job, KUNA reported.

Updating the Security Council on the implementation of resolution 2118 related to the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons, Ban said in a letter "it is now evident that some activities related to the elimination of (Syria's) chemical weapons programme will continue beyond 30 June 2014." "I foresee that the Joint Mission (of the UN-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) will continue its work for a finite period of time beyond June 30 during which most of the remaining activities for the elimination of (Syria's) chemical programme should be completed," he added.

He did not specify how long the period would be, but said "it will give sufficient time to put in place appropriate successor arrangements for OPCW to continue any residual in-country verification activities beyond this period." He indicated that about 92 percent of Syria's CW material has been either shipped out or destroyed in-country, and that preparations for the removal of the remaining 7.2 percent has been completed, with Damascus insisting it would take it to Latakia as soon as possible but only when security conditions allow. Ban said the unfinished tasks that need to be completed are the removal of the remaining CW material; and the destruction of structures at 12 production facilities, of one item of loading equipment at one production facility, and of one building located at another production facility.

"It is imperative that the Syrian Arab Republic concludes remaining removal operations as quickly as possible, as the authorities have pledged to do," Ban said, noting that Syria prepared the remaining chemical material in one last site and would remove it as soon as security conditions permit.

Ban also said he remains "very concerned" by the alleged use of chlorine gas in Syria late last month and looks forward to the results of the investigation being conducted by the OPCW, and called on both the Syrian Government and the opposition to cooperation with the investigators.

He described the security situation in Syria as "challenging," with shelling and mortar attacks escalating during the last few weeks. Two of the Joint Mission personnel were injured, he said, when one of the mortars landed close to their home.

As a result, he noted, the Joint Mission "initiated steps to reduce its presence (in Syria) and adjust its functional footprint to a configuration commensurate to its remaining tasks," adding that a number of personnel have already returned to parent duty stations.

The Council is scheduled to discuss Ban's letter early next month and most probably concur with him that the June 30 deadline should be extended. It is not clear, however, if it will take any action against the Assad regime for dragging its feet.