OPCW trains 26 Syrian officials on chemical weapons convention
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Wednesday announced that it trained 26 Syrian officials to strengthen Syria’s capacity to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and fulfill its obligations as a State Party.
The training, held from June 29 to July 2 at the OPCW headquarters in The Hague and its Centre for Chemistry and Technology, brought together representatives of the Syrian National Authority for the CWC and other government institutions.
Participants received training on the Convention’s legal framework, declaration and destruction obligations, verification procedures, national implementation measures, and the responsibilities of Syria’s National Authority.
The program also included practical exercises and discussions aimed at strengthening coordination among Syrian institutions.
“Syria views dealing with the legacy of the chemical weapons file as an integral part of its national recovery that requires engagement with all government institutions at different levels,” said Ambassador Mohammed Katoub, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the OPCW.
The OPCW said the program was designed to address Syria’s current needs and establish the basis for longer-term cooperation, including more specialized assistance as the country advances implementation of the Convention.
The training comes amid renewed cooperation between Syria and the OPCW following the fall of the Assad government in December 2024. The organization added that its Technical Secretariat has since conducted several deployments to Syria involving visits to suspected sites, sampling, interviews, and collection of documents related to the country’s chemical weapons program.
During a May 2026 deployment, the OPCW identified previously undeclared chemical weapons-related materials, confirming that elements of the former authorities’ program had been concealed from the organization, it said.
The OPCW pointed out that the deployment demonstrated the constructive engagement of Syria’s government in addressing outstanding issues related to the chemical weapons program inherited from the Assad era.
In July, the OPCW Executive Council adopted by consensus a draft decision to reinstate Syria’s rights and privileges at the organization, suspended since 2021.
Syria acceded to the CWC in 2013. The OPCW indicated that the former Syrian government failed to fully declare its chemical weapons program and that chemical weapons were used in Syria by former government forces and ISIS.