Syria: The use of chemical weapons will not go unpunished [fr]

Thank you, Mr. President, and I join all my colleagues in wishing you every success in your Presidency of the Security Council in August. You will have our full support, as you know. And I thank all the members of the Council for the support given to the French Presidency in July.

I would also like to thank Mr. Markram for his presentation, and I would like, for my part, to raise three points.

First, I note from the report that the Syrian regime continues to evade its international obligations. The 20 outstanding issues related to the Syrian regime’s initial declaration have not been answered. As we all know, additional questions continue to accumulate. The unauthorized movement and destruction of two chlorine cylinders related to the Duma attacks is of great concern. And the regime must quickly provide the Technical Secretariat with accurate information on this incident.

Secondly, I would like to recall that the decision taken in April by the OPCW Conference of States Parties is not irreversible, as Mr. Markram reminded us. It is up to the regime to act if it wishes to recover its rights and privileges. Without its cooperation, the measures taken will remain in force.

In this regard, I note that the last two requests for the deployment of the declaration assessment team have not been answered. The Syrian regime is expected to issue visas for the next request for deployment by the Director General. We hope that the upcoming meeting between the Director General and the Syrian Foreign Minister will resolve this difficulty and restore dialogue.

Finally, Mr. President, and this is my last point, the use of these shocking weapons cannot go unpunished. Legal proceedings will take place, including before national courts. Evidence continues to be collected and will be used. It is a matter of respect for the victims, for whom justice must be done. This is the message we are defending with our partners, in particular within the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons.

Thank you for your attention.