United Nations Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons

in the Syrian Arab Republic

Report on the Alleged Use of Chemical Weapons in the Ghouta Area of Damascus

on 21 August 2013

Note by the Secretary-General

1.In transmitting simultaneously to the Security Council and the General Assembly thereport on the incident which took place on 21 August 2013 in the Ghouta area ofDamascus (see annex), the Secretary-General expresses his profound shock and regret atthe conclusion that chemical weapons were used on a relatively large scale, resulting innumerous casualties, particularly among civilians and including many children. TheSecretary-General condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weaponsand believes that this act is a war crime and grave violation of the 1925 Protocol for theProhibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and ofBacteriological Methods of Warfare and other relevant rules of customary internationallaw. The international community has a moral responsibility to hold accountable thoseresponsible and for ensuring that chemical weapons can never re-emerge as an instrumentof warfare.2.The Secretary-General wishes to express his deep appreciation to the Head andmembers of the Mission, including the dedicated teams of experts from the Organisationfor the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the World Health Organization. TheSecretary-General is grateful for the support provided by Member States. The Secretary-General counts on the continued support of all concerned until the Mission completes itsinvestigation into all other allegations and submits its final report.3.The accession of the Syrian Arab Republic on 14 September 2013 to the Convention onthe Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of ChemicalWeapons and on their Destruction is a welcome development. As depositary of theConvention, the Secretary-General has long called for its universality. The Secretary-General welcomes the agreement reached on 14 September 2013 between the RussianFederation and the United States of America on a framework for the elimination ofchemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic. He hopes that the Executive Council ofthe Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United NationsSecurity Council quickly move to consider and implement this proposal, which is aimedat expediting the fufillment of the obligations of the Syrian Arab Republic under theConvention. The Secretary-General calls upon the Syrian Arab Republic to implementfaithfully all of its disarmament obligations and he stands ready to facilitate internationalefforts aimed at providing assistance in this regard.4.The Secretary-General reiterates that any use of chemical weapons by anyone underany circumstances is a grave violation of international law.

5.Where there are allegations of the use of chemical weapons, however, the internationalcommunity looks to the United Nations for an impartial and objective determinationwhether, and to what extent, such allegations can be substantiated. It is imperativetherefore that the authority extended to the Secretary-General by the General Assembly(A/RES/42/37 C) and endorsed by the Security Council (S/RES/620 (1988)) continues tobe respected and that the mechanism related thereto continues to be strengthened. TheSecretary-General believes that an effective mechanism to investigate allegations of theuse of chemical weapons can serve as an important deterrent against their employment.