Ban pleased by UNSC's authorization to set up UN-OPCW Mission to rid Syria of chemical arms

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said he was "pleased" by Security Council's "quick" authorization and endorsement of his proposal earlier this week to set up a joint UN-OPCW Mission to rid Syria of its chemical weapons by mid 2014. This move reflected the international community's "commitment" to eliminate the banned weapons, Ban said. In a response letter to Ban's, dated October 7th and containing the proposal, Council President Ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev of Azerbaijan said "I have the honour to inform you that your letter ... has been brought to the attention of the members of the Security Council. After due consideration, the Security Council authorizes the establishment of the OPCW-UN Joint Mission as proposed in your letter." In a video message from Brunei Darussalam where he attended the 5th ASEAN Summit, Ban said "I am very pleased that the Security Council has moved so quickly on my recommendation for a joint mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations. This is aa sign of the international community's commitment to eliminate chemical weapons." Ban's said "we have a very tight deadline, but the United Nations is committed to work closely with the OPCW to get the job done," stressing at the same time that he is "just as committed and determined to make progress in the political and humanitarian tracks for the sake of the Syrian people." The Council sent its response letter to Ban officially earlier today after orally endorsing his proposal late Thursday during a closed-door meeting. During that meeting, the members mandated its President to draft a "short (response) letter" and circulate it among the 15 members for approval before sending it out.