Syria has regained its voting rights at the world's chemical weapons watchdog, ending a five-year suspension imposed on the Assad government for its use of nerve agents and chlorine against civilians.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons adopted the reinstatement by consensus on Wednesday, with 67 states parties co-sponsoring the measure. The decision cited a "significant change in circumstances" following the 2024 rebel offensive that ousted Bashar Assad and brought President Ahmed al-Sharaa to power. Since taking office, the new administration has amended Damascus's initial arms declaration, permitted a permanent inspector presence, and begun destroying identified chemical weapons remnants.
OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias called the move a milestone in the elimination of Syria's arsenal. Damascus originally acceded to the treaty in 2013, shortly after a sarin gas attack on Ghouta that US intelligence estimated killed at least 1,400 people. Syria's foreign ministry thanked Qatar for its diplomatic support in securing the restoration.