The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland welcomes the publication of the first report of the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) on the attribution of responsibility for the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic. The IIT report concludes that the three chemical attacks in Ltamenah (Syria), which took place on 24, 25 and 30 March 2017, were carried out by the Syrian Arab Republic armed forces.

Condemning in the strongest possible terms any use of chemical weapons, we believe that the report is an important element of the efforts by the international community to prevent the re-emergence of chemical weapons. Those responsible for violating the CWC must be held accountable. It is of critical importance for respecting the international law as well as for the integrity and credibility of the whole chemical non-proliferation system.

We reiterate our full support for the activities of the OPCW Director General and the Technical Secretariat, including the IIT team, established by the decision of the CWC Conference of States Parties of June 2018. We have full confidence in their objectivity, independence and professionalism.

Poland has been promoting the Chemical Weapons Convention for years, supporting the full elimination of such weapons. Every year, we are the sole sponsor of the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the CWC implementation. We will continue our efforts on the international stage in this regard.

 

MFA Press Office