India restates its concern about the possibility of terrorist entities and individuals gaining access to chemical weapons at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Syria.
The remarks by Prateek Mathur, Consultant in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, came during the UNSC meeting on the Middle East Syria Chemical Weapons Status.
Mathur said that India has repeatedly cautioned against the possibility of terrorist entities and individuals gaining access to chemical weapons in the region. He highlighted that India’s position on issues relating to Syria’s accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is well known. Further, he said, “it is our principled position that the CWC is a Unique, Non- discriminatory disarmament tool to eliminate an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.
A Chemical weapon is a chemical that is intentionally used to cause death or harm through its toxicity. The OPCW states weapons on its website. Equipment and other equipment specifically designed to weaponize toxic chemicals also fall within the definition of Chemical Weapons.
He added, “We encourage continued engagement between Syria and the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Technical Secretariat to resolve differences as quickly as possible.
We support the collective efforts of all parties to ensure that the credibility and integrity of the Chemical Weapons Convention are fully upheld; India believes that progress on other tracks, political and humanitarian, will help to move forward concerning the political process in Syria, as advocated by Resolution 2254, he said while addressing the meeting.
Published By: Khushboo Mehta
Edited By: Kritika Kashyap
