26th Session of the Conference of the States Parties - Statement by France (29 November 2021, The Hague) [fr]

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director General,
Mrs. and Mr. Ambassadors,

France aligns itself with the declaration of the European Union. Allow me to add the following elements in my national capacity.

Mr. Chairman,

I would firstly like to congratulate you on your election as Chairperson of the Conference of States Parties. The French delegation has full confidence in you to successfully lead our debates during this twenty-sixth session.

Mr. Chairman,

Believe me, I wish I did not have to address this topic today. But if the Syrian chemical dossier remains at the very core of our Organisation’s concerns, more than eight years after Syria’s accession to the Convention, it is precisely because chemical weapons have continued being used by one of its Member States. Some may dare to call this a political stance. However, what this is really about is nothing else but dealing with compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, which we all committed ourselves to when we signed and ratified it.

This is why I can only regret the Syrian regime’s clear refusal to cooperate with the OPCW Technical Secretariat. Far from being exemplary in the past, Syria’s lack of cooperation is now blatant and shows a deliberate desire to obstruct the OPCW’s work.

In order to assess this, let me list the alarming obstacles put in place by the Syrian regime, which have hindered the missions of the Technical Secretariat since the adoption of the decision C-25/DEC.9 dated 21 April 2021 by the Conference of States Parties. Regarding the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT), its deployment to Syria has been impossible since April this year. Syria does not issue the requested visas, and when it does, it is actually late and piecemeal. We can only be surprised that one DAT expert is denied a visa by Syria, despite having been allowed to travel to Syria on more than twenty occasions in the past. The delay in issuing the visa to the liaison officer in Damascus has also had a significant impact on the preparation of the missions planned for this autumn.

Clearly, the Syrian regime does not want to cooperate. This is not acceptable. We recall that this obligation to cooperate is enshrined both in Article VII paragraph 7 of the Convention to which Syria has acceded, and in Resolution 2118, which requires Syria to provide OPCW and UN personnel with immediate and unimpeded access to all relevant sites on its territory.

Yet, we reiterate once again, the measures resulting from the April decision of the Conference of States Parties are not irreversible. The rights and privileges that were suspended in April can be recovered. This requires the regime to comply with its international obligations and to cooperate resolutely and in good faith with the OPCW, which is continuing its work in full transparency and with great professionalism.

Beyond that, we recall that only a credible, viable and inclusive political solution in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 will bring an end to the Syrian conflict. While the Convention has been violated by the Syrian regime, which has continued to use chemical weapons against its population since 2013, my country remains fully mobilized so that an appropriate response can be provided, within the framework of the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons, or within the national jurisdictions that have been seized, so that the victims finally have access to justice.

Mr. Chairman,

The attack by means of a chemical nerve agent against Mr. Alexei Navalny on 20 August 2020 on the territory of the Russian Federation was shocking to all of us.

France shares the conclusions of several of its European partners and the Technical Secretariat on the facts of poisoning with a military nerve agent belonging to the Novitchok group. We condemn in the strongest terms the shocking and irresponsible use of such an agent. The use of chemical weapons anywhere, at any time, by anyone, under any circumstances, is unacceptable and contravenes international norms against the use of such weapons. It is imperative that light be shed on the circumstances of this crime and those who perpetrated it, that those responsible are held accountable and that all measures are taken to prevent the repetition of such attacks.

It is first and foremost the responsibility of the Russian Federation to initiate a credible and transparent investigation into this criminal act on its territory, against a Russian citizen, by means of an agent from the Russian-developed nerve agent family. We are still waiting for the Russian Federation to provide credible explanations about this assassination attempt.

As you know, the Permanent Representation of the Russian Federation sent a note verbale to my country via the Technical Secretariat, received on 18 October 2021. In accordance with the provisions of Article IX, paragraph 2, of the Convention, France replied within the foreseen time limit, by the note verbale dated 18 October 2021.

Mr. Chairman,

As every year, the Conference will decide on the OPCW Programme and Budget. However, this is the first biennial budget that we will be considering, thus allowing a longer-term vision for the Organisation management. France wishes to commend the excellent work done by the co-facilitators Mr. Jerzy Gierasimiuk and Mr. Matteo Fachinotti in the run-up to the October Executive Council, which enabled the Council to recommend the adoption of the draft Programme and Budget for 2022-2023.

Given the context we have been experiencing for several years, we have a responsibility to provide the Organisation with the means essential to fulfil its missions, from chemical demilitarisation to fight against re-emergence and international cooperation. Consequently, France has decided to make an exception to the zero nominal growth policy applied to budgets of international organisations, and to support the draft budget as recommended by the Executive Council during its ninety-eighth session. However, this increase in the level of assessed contributions is not sustainable over the long haul and must go together with measures of optimisation and rationalisation to be undertaken by the Technical Secretariat. We also recall that it is the duty of each State Party to enable the Technical Secretariat to perform its tasks by paying its assessed contributions on time and in full. It is essential that States with arrears comply with their obligations as soon as possible in order to reduce the current deficit. Indeed, States that respect their financial commitments should not bear an additional burden.

Mr. Chairman,

As recommended by the Executive Council at its October session, France supports the reappointment of the Director General, Mr Fernando Arias, for a second four-year term. We reiterate our full confidence in him and in all the members of the Technical Secretariat, who work daily towards the objective we have set ourselves, a world finally free of chemical weapons.

Mr. Chairman,

My country is fully committed to that end and in the fight against the re-emergence of the use of chemical weapons. It is to achieve these objectives that France has donated nearly two million euros this year in voluntary contributions to support to the OPCW in various areas: activities related to Syria, cyber security, the construction of the future ChemTech Centre or capacity-building activities in Africa. France is indeed determined to invest in the future of the OPCW, whose expertise remains essential to prevent the re-emergence of the use of chemical weapons, including by non-state actors.

France has also been involved since 2019 in the Mentorship Programme developed by the OPCW Technical Secretariat. We are convinced that international cooperation will help advance the implementation of the Convention, including through the exchange of best practices between national authorities.

Mr. Chairman,

These are challenging times. They call for the Organisation to modernise itself, as one of the original objectives of the Convention will soon be fulfilled, while new threats to international security are emerging. It is with this in mind that we look forward to the 2023 Review Conference, whose success depends on our collective responsibility. The CWC is one of the most successful disarmament treaties in the world because of its inherent deterrent capacity. It is now our role to defend it. We owe it to our citizens, whom we have promised to protect from these weapons.

Mr. Chairman,

I request that this statement be considered an official document of this session of the Conference of States Parties and posted on Catalyst and on the official OPCW website. Thank you.

26ème session de la Conférence des Etats Parties de l’OIAC - Débat général : Déclaration de la France (29 novembre 2021, La Haye)

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Read here the 26th session of the Conference of States Parties: joint statement on behalf of 56 States Parties.