UN-OPCW joint mission established

The UN and OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) announced here on Wednesday the establishment of the UN-OPCW Joint Mission to eliminate the Syrian chemical weapon programme. In a joint press release, they said that the mission establishment followed close consultations between the Director General of the OPCW and the UN Secretary General. "It conforms with the provisions of the decision taken by the OPCW Executive Council on September 27, 2013, which was followed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2118 (2013)," according to the statement. "The Joint Mission has been established in order to achieve the timely elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons programme in the safest and most secure manner possible. It will continue the work undertaken by the OPCW and the UN in Syria since the beginning of this month," noted the statement. "The OPCW and the UN have established separate but complementary Trust Funds which have been launched today at the Headquarters of the respective organizations," it added. The establishment of the Joint Mission, the appointment of the Special Coordinator and the arrangements related to the Trust Funds are based on the recommendations made by the UN Secretary-General, with the advice and support of the OPCW Director General, in accordance with the letter by the Secretary-General to the Presidency of the Security Council on October 7 of this year. The joint UN-OPCW team has now conducted verification activities at a total of 11 sites that are identified in Syria's disclosure. Activities have also included overseeing the destruction of critical equipment at six sites, as well as some destruction of so-called Category 3 weapons; in other words, unloaded chemical weapons munitions.