Syria amends chemical-weapons declaration after OPCW deployment, discloses new facility and chemical

A United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs representative told the Security Council that, after an OPCW deployment in May 2026 detected previously undeclared materials, the Syrian Arab Republic submitted amendments in June 2026 to its initial chemical-weapons declaration.

"The Syrian Arab Republic declared 1 additional chemical weapons production facility, a newly discovered chemical, used in the production of nerve agents, and empty chemical munitions," the agency official said. The official added that the amendment also listed two chemical weapons storage facilities where the newly discovered materials had been stored.

The speaker said an OPCW technical secretariat team deployed in August 2026 to conduct an initial inspection to verify the declaration amendment related to one of the newly declared storage facilities. The briefing described these steps as part of a broader verification effort and said work is continuing to identify, declare and destroy any remaining chemical weapons.

Details about the name or precise contents of the newly discovered chemical, and full inventories for all declared sites, were not provided during the briefing.