Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United Nations (video statements)

UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu told the Council today (03 Sep) that the OPCW’s May 2026 deployment led to the discovery of previously undeclared chemical weapons, prompting Syria to submit amendments to its initial declaration in June.

“The Syrian Arab Republic declared one additional chemical weapons production facility, a newly discovered chemical used in the production of nerve agents, and empty chemical munitions,” Nakamitsu said. “It also declared two chemical weapons storage facilities, where the newly discovered materials were being stored.”

She said an OPCW team deployed to Syria in August to verify the destruction of Category 3 chemical weapons, conducting Article IV verification activities at storage and destruction facilities.

“The OPCW verified that inventories matched recent declarations by the Syrian Arab Republic and verified the irreversible destruction of 42 aerial bombs,” she said.

“This significant development means that for the first time since 2014, the OPCW has verified the destruction of chemical munitions from the Syrian Arab Republic,” Nakamitsu said. “As reported by the OPCW Director-General, this is a result of the close collaboration between the Syrian government and the OPCW Technical Secretariat.”

Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, called the operation “a historic moment – the start of the destruction of some of the chemical materials found in Syria, as part of the verification procedures of the Technical Secretariat” of the OPCW.

“This is the first destruction operation since Syria’s liberation from the former regime, but it is also the first destruction of chemical munitions on Syrian soil in more than a decade,” he said, adding that it proved a file that for years was “a source of danger to Syrians and to the world” but could become “a model of what diplomacy – coupled with resolve, sincere will and a spirit of international cooperation – can achieve on the ground.”

The cooperation, he said, amounted to “a deep political shift in Syria’s approach to salvaging the multilateral system."

Olabi said repeated Israeli attacks had obstructed search-and-destruction operations, halting them entirely at points and forcing the cancellation of flights, putting Syrian national teams, OPCW teams and the sites being secured at risk.

“We cannot safeguard the region’s security while our own security is under threat from Israel,” he said. “Nor can we safeguard the international system while Israel rides roughshod over international law.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37uB-y03JtE

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:

– UN80 Initiative
– U.N. System Staff College / U.N. Institute for Training and Research Merger
– Nepal
– Lebanon
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Security Council / Syria
– Madagascar
– World Meteorological Organization / El Niño Report
– UN Trade and Development / Report
– Financial Contribution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTApZU6KlpM

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The Security Council was briefed on progress in efforts to dismantle Syria’s chemical weapons programme, including the verified destruction of 42 aerial bombs. The briefing also highlighted newly discovered chemical weapons and the continuing need to identify and hold accountable those responsible for their use.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z8yvz0S_h-E

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Writer, lecturer, political activist, and feminist organizer Gloria Steinem denounces violence against women in a speech at UN Headquarters. Utilizing material from the UN Audiovisual Library, this production showcases a major force in the feminist movement taking her message to the global stage. https://www.unmultimedia.org/avlibrary/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciwGMXPJFeM