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Syria regains full membership rights at the OPCW
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has restored Syria's suspended membership rights. The body cited cooperation and concrete steps taken after the overthrow of the Assad regime as the reason for the decision.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has restored Syria's full membership rights within the body. The decision was taken as a result of the cooperation and concrete steps Syria has taken in the new era regarding its chemical weapons file.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry announced that it welcomed the OPCW's decision. In a statement, the ministry said, "This decision reflects the international community's confidence in Syria's transformation and the efforts of its institutions to fulfill their obligations." The statement stressed that the decision, which received the support of 67 member states, "embodies broad support for Syria's restoration of its full role within the organization."
Chemical weapons history and suspension of rights
Syria joined the OPCW on 13 September 2013 under pressure from the US and Russia, agreeing to declare and destroy its toxic substance stockpiles. The move aimed to avert the threat of airstrikes by Washington and its allies against the Assad regime.
The threat of strikes came after the regime's major chemical massacre on 21 August 2013 in Eastern Ghouta and Muadamiyat al-Sham, which killed more than 1,400 civilians. That same month, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2118 on Syria's chemical weapons. The joint OPCW-UN inspection mission completed its work on 19 August 2014 after the destruction of the chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the regime.
However, it later emerged that the destruction was limited to the sites declared by the Assad regime. Regime forces carried out numerous attacks using chlorine and sarin gas in cities such as Aleppo, Khan Sheikhoun and Douma. The OPCW determined that chemical weapons were used in Latamneh in the Hama countryside in March 2017 and in Saraqib in Idlib in February 2018. Consequently, on 21 April 2021, member states suspended some of Syria's membership rights.
Cooperation process launched with the new administration
The overthrow of the Assad regime in December 2024 paved the way for the new Syrian administration to rebuild its relations with the OPCW on a transparent basis. In February 2025, President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani hosted a delegation led by OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias in Damascus. This was Arias's first official visit to Damascus after Assad's overthrow.
Arias described the visit as a "new beginning," saying that the contacts in Damascus "paved the way for the final closure of the Syrian chemical weapons file." In March 2025, al-Shaibani visited the OPCW headquarters in The Hague, addressed the Executive Council, and acknowledged Syria's obligations under the convention.
Since the Director-General's visit to Damascus, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has published reports covering visits to suspected sites, sampling, interviews, and document collection related to Syria's chemical weapons programme. In November 2025, Syria reactivated its permanent representation in The Hague, and the Foreign Ministry appointed Mohammed Kettub as permanent representative.
Praise from Western countries
US Special Presidential Representative for Syria and Iraq Thomas Brack congratulated Syria on regaining its rights at the OPCW. In a post on X, Brack said this important milestone "reflects the significant progress made by the Syrian government and its commitment to responsible engagement with the international community."
Canada's Ambassador to Syria and Lebanon Gregory Galligan also said on X that his country welcomed the decision of the OPCW Executive Council. Galligan stated, "Canada, as a partner, reaffirms its support for Syria's renewed cooperation with the organization aimed at the complete and verifiable elimination of its chemical weapons programme."
The UK's Syria Office also welcomed Syria's restoration of its rights and privileges at the OPCW in a post on its X account.
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