UN Briefing Cites Momentum in Syria Chemical Disarmament as OPCW Widens Searches

Overview

• The UN disarmament lead told the Security Council that work to eliminate Assad-era remnants is advancing, supported by a re-established continuous OPCW presence in Syria.
• OPCW assessments indicate more than 100 locations may be tied to the former programme beyond 26 declared sites, with teams visiting 19 since March, conducting interviews, and collecting samples and over 6,000 documents.
• Additional deployments are being prepared, including visits to several high-priority chemical weapons–related locations in coastal and northern areas near Latakia.
• OPCW policy bodies have endorsed faster disposal tools, including Executive Council support for on-site destruction where required, alongside Syrian-led decisions in late 2025 that set procedures and moved toward restoring Syria’s OPCW privileges.
• The United Kingdom called for sustained international backing in 2026, noting more than $3.8 million contributed since December 2024 and a continued focus on technical support, verification, and accountability.