Key facts
- Syria's voting rights at the global chemical weapons watchdog were restored on Thursday.
- Syria had its voting rights revoked in 2021 due to repeated use of poison gas.
- The decision followed the fall of the Assad regime and Syria's commitment to its obligations.
- The OPCW will continue to monitor Syria's progress in eliminating remaining chemical weapons.
Member states of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) reinstated Syria's voting rights on Thursday, citing a significant change in circumstances following the fall of the Assad regime. Syria had its voting rights stripped in 2021 after its forces were found to have repeatedly used poison gas during the civil war, a breach of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. The OPCW stated that the new Syrian authorities have committed to fulfilling Syria's obligations under the Convention and have taken concrete steps. A Syrian official indicated that remnants of the former regime's clandestine chemical weapons program, including raw materials and munitions, have been located. The OPCW's executive council will continue to monitor Syria's progress in eliminating remaining chemical weapons.