Chemical Weapons Use Allegations in Aleppo and Saraqib, Syria

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Chemical Weapons Use Allegations in Aleppo and Saraqib, Syria

OPCW Issues Two Fact-Finding Mission Reports on Chemical Weapons Use Allegations in Aleppo and Saraqib, Syria 

THE HAGUE, Netherlands—2 October 2020—The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), issued today two reports on the FFM’s investigation regarding separate incidents of alleged use of toxic chemicals as a weapon in Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic, on 24 November 2018 and in Saraqib, Syrian Arab Republic, on 1 August 2016.

The FFM’s activities regarding the allegation in Aleppo included visiting hospitals to collect medical records and witness accounts, conducting interviews, obtaining information, and gathering other data. The FFM also received environmental samples from State Parties. It further analysed a range of inputs, including witness testimonies, results of environmental sample analysis, epidemiological and technical analyses, and additional digital information from witnesses and State Party technical experts.

Pertaining to this allegation in Aleppo, the information obtained and analysed, the composite summary of the interviews and the results of the laboratory analyses did not allow the FFM to establish whether or not chemicals were used as a weapon in the incident that took place in the neighbourhood of Al-Khalidiyah and its surroundings in North-West Aleppo on 24 November 2018.

The FFM’s activities regarding the allegation in Saraqib included collecting medical records and other digital information, conducting interviews, and gathering other data.

The results of the analysis of all available data obtained up until the issuance of this report did not allow the FFM to establish whether or not chemicals were used as a weapon in the incident that took place in Saraqib, in the Idlib Governorate, on 1 August 2016

The FFM’s reports on these two allegations of chemical weapons have been shared with States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention. The reports were also transmitted to the UN Security Council through the UN Secretary-General.

OPCW Issues Report on Technical Assistance Requested by Germany

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OPCW Issues Report on Technical Assistance Requested by Germany

THE HAGUE, Netherlands—6 October 2020—The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) transmitted yesterday to the Federal Republic of Germany the report of the OPCW’s mission to provide requested technical assistance in regard to the poisoning of Mr Alexei Navalny, on 20 August 2020.

The results of the analysis by the OPCW designated laboratories of biomedical samples collected by the OPCW team and shared with the Federal Republic of Germany confirm that the biomarkers of the cholinesterase inhibitor found in Mr Navalny’s blood and urine samples have similar structural characteristics as the toxic chemicals belonging to schedules 1.A.14 and 1.A.15 that were added to the Annex on Chemicals to the Convention during the Twenty-Fourth Session of the Conference of the States Parties in November 2019. This cholinesterase inhibitor is not listed in the Annex on Chemicals to the Convention.

The Permanent Representation of Germany to the OPCW requested that the Technical Secretariat share the summary of this report with all States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention and make it publicly available.

The Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, thanked the OPCW designated laboratories that supported the technical assistance request for their swift analysis. He further considered that these results constitute a matter of grave concern. States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention have declared the use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances as reprehensible and wholly contrary to the legal norms established by the international community. It is therefore important now for States Parties to uphold the norm they have decided to adhere to more than 25 years ago. He reaffirmed the Secretariat’s readiness to continue assisting them through independent expertise.

Ali Muhammad Ali Abd–Al-Rahman will remain in custody

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Judge Piotr Hofmański, Presiding judge on this appeal, in the Courtroom on 8 October 2020 © ICC-CPI 

Today, 8 October 2020, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC), confirmed the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber II to reject the interim release of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd–Al-Rahman. Judge Piotr HofmaĹ„ski, Presiding judge on this appeal, read a summary of the judgment in open Court.

On 14 August 2020, Pre-Trial Chamber II had rejected Mr Abd-Al Rahman’s request for interim release to the territory of the Court’s host State, The Netherlands, pending trial, pursuant to article 60(2) of the Rome Statute, the Court’s founding treaty. The decision was based on the Pre-Trial Chamber’s conclusion that the continued detention of Mr Abd-Al-Rahman detention appeared necessary to ensure that the investigation or court proceedings are not obstructed or endangered.

Ali Muhammad Ali Abd–Al-Rahman in the Courtroom of the ICC on 8 October 2020 © ICC-CPI.

Today, the Appeals Chamber rejected all five grounds of appeal raised by the Defence and confirmed the Pre-Trial Chamber’s Decision. The Chamber found that the Pre-Trial Chamber did not commit any error in its decision. The judges confirmed that detention of the suspect remained necessary for the integrity of the investigation and the proceedings and the safety of witnesses.

Judge Ibáñez Carranza is appending a separate concurring opinion on the issues of the requalification of the alleged errors presented by Mr Abd-Al-Rahman under the first ground of appeal and on the interpretation of regulation 51 of the Regulations of the Court under the fifth ground of appeal.

A decision to maintain the detention pending trial is reviewed by the competent Chamber at least every 120 days, and may be reviewed at any time at the request of the detained person or the Prosecutor.

Conclusion of witness testimony in the Stanišić and Simatović case

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Conclusion of witness testimony in the Stanišić and Simatović case

The Hague,  8 October 2020– Today, at the Hague branch of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), a Trial Chamber composed of Judge Burton Hall (Presiding) of the Bahamas, Judge Joseph Masanche of Tanzania, and Judge Seon Ki Park of the Republic of South Korea, concluded hearing witness testimony in the trial of Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović. As the Presiding Judge said in his closing remarks, this is a milestone in particular in the context of a pandemic. 
The final five Defence witnesses were heard from 1 September to 8 October 2020 in a modified court room with enhanced safety measures. 

Judge Hall announced that final requests for the admissions of documentary evidence would be due on 2 November 2020, final trial briefs would be due on 26 February 2021, and closing arguments will be heard in the last week of March 2021. The trial judgement is expected in the first half of 2021. 

Originally, the evidence presentation was expected to conclude in June 2020, but it was interrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which limited movement in the Netherlands and Serbia. The Mechanism adopted numerous safety protocols to ensure the continuation of its cases, and Judges, staff, and counsel worked remotely, to the extent possible, until conditions were safe to resume in-court hearings. 

This is the first retrial held before the Mechanism. Stanišić, formerly Deputy Chief and Chief of the State Security Service (DB) of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia, and Simatović, formerly employed in the Second Administration of the Serbian DB, were charged before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) with having directed, organised, equipped, trained, armed, and financed special units of the DB and other Serb forces, which were involved in the commission of murder, persecution, deportation, and forcible transfer of non-Serb civilians from large areas of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1991 and 1995. 

On 30 May 2013, an ICTY Trial Chamber found that Stanišić and Simatović could not be held criminally responsible for these crimes and acquitted both accused of all charges. Following the appeals proceedings, on 15 December 2015, the ICTY Appeals Chamber quashed the ICTY Trial Chamber’s decision and ordered a retrial and the immediate detention of the accused. 

The retrial commenced before the Mechanism on 13 June 2017 with the Prosecution’s opening statement. The Prosecution case was closed on 21 February 2019. A total of 51 witnesses were heard in court for the Prosecution. The Defence case commenced on 18 June 2019, and 29 witnesses were heard in court for both accused. 

Azerbaijan Embassy clarified its official position

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On Monday, October 5, First Secretary Ms. Seljan Verdiyeva, of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Hague, held a virtual press conference via Zoom regarding the escalating conflict between the nation and its neighbor, the Republic of Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

She clarified the official position of the Republic regarding the conflict, especially emphasizing the salient nature of the fighting and its position as a point of longstanding dispute; the positions of other international actors; and addressed media reports regarding current status belli.

The region has, in the past two weeks, seen its heaviest fighting since the 1994 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia and international actors have urged for a peaceful resolution between the two states.

Deutsche Welle in collaboration with the Americas

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Monday, 5 October 2020, Berlin, Germany: the President pro tempore of the Group of Ambassadors of Latin America and the Caribbean in Germany (GRULAC), Mexican Ambassador to Germany Rogelio Granguillhome, met with his colleagues from the region accredited in Germany as well as Mr Peter Limbourg and Mr Carlos Delgado, Director-General of Deutsche Welle (DW) and Deputy Director of DW Español, respectively.

DW DG Peter Limbourg spoke with the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries about the importance of this region of the world in the daily work of the German broadcaster. DG Limbourg exchanged views with Latin American and Caribbean diplomats in a format that underlines the value of the region’s profile as a partner of Germany.

In the second half of 2020, GRULAC is chaired by the Mexican Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador Rogelio Granguillhome. Since July, the GRULAC has held meetings with the Secretary of State of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Miguel Berger; with the Executive Director of the European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean Foundation (EU-LAC Foundation), Dr. Adrián Bonilla; and with representatives of the CoronaWarnApp project, an initiative of the German Federal Government, SAP and Telekom.
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On the image (Image by Embassy of Mexico in Germany) – all ranked as ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary unless otherwise noted.

Front row f.l.t.r.: Florencia Vilanova de von Oehsen (El Salvador); Lydia Peralta Cordero (Costa Rica); Christa Castro Varela (Honduras);Ramón Maniglia Ferreira (Venezuela). 

Second row f.l.t.r.: Tatiana García Silva (Nicaragua); Manuel Mejía Dalmau (Ecuador);Roberto Jaguaribe (Brazil). 

Third row f.l.t.r.: Enrique Thayer Hausz (Panama); ChargĂ©e d’affaires Keisha Witter (Jamaica); Hans Peter Knudsen Quevedo (Colombia); RamĂłn Ignacio Ripoll DĂ­az (Cuba); Rogelio Granguillhome(Mexico); Peter Limbourg (DW Director-General);Elmer Schialer (Peru).

Kuwait appoints crown prince

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Kuwait appoints crown prince

Lt.-Gen. Sheikh Mesha’al Al-Ahmed Al-Jabr Al Sabah and former Governor of Fawarniyah Governorate, Sheikh Faisal Al-Hamoud Al-Malek Sabah – Picture by Sh. Faisal Al-Hamoud Al-Malek Al Sabah’s Office.

Wednesday, 7 October 2020, Kuwait City, State of Kuwait: His Highness The Emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jabr Al Sabah selected his younger half-brother, Lieutenant-General H.E. Sheikh Mesha’al bin Sabah Al-Ahmed Al Sabah (b. 1938) to the position of Crown Prince. 

Sheikh Mesha’al is a son of Kuwait’s tenth ruler, the late Emir Ahmed bin Jabr Al Sabah (reigned from 1921 to 1950). Since 2004 he had served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Kuwait National Guard with the personal rank of minister. He was educated mostly in Kuwait with higher studies pursued in England. He is married, father of four sons and seven daughters. 

Under the constitution, the emir chooses the crown prince, but it is customary for the ruling family to hold a meeting to reach a consensus. The chosen candidate will be submitted to parliamentary approval. On Thursday, 8 October Sheikh Mesha’al swore the oath of office as Kuwait’s heir apparent after parliament approved his nomination from His Highness Emir Nawaf I. 

Previously it was a tradition to alternate the office of emir and that of crown prince between the Al-Ahmed and Al-Salem branches of the House Sabah. Merely male, Muslims descendants of Kuwait’s seventh ruler Mubarak the Great (reigned from 1896 to 1915) are eligible for the throne. 

For further information:
Diwan of the Crown Prince of Kuwait https://cpd.gov.kw/home_UC.php

The Argentine’s top envoy in Germany in Bremen

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Monday, 5 October 2020, Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Germany: Mayor of Bremen, Dr. Andreas Bovenschulte welcomed the Ambassador the Argentine Republic, Pedro RaĂşl Villagra Delgado, for his inaugural visit to the UNESCO World Heritage City Hall.
 

The diplomat signed the Golden Book of the Free Hanseatic City in the Upper City Hall. Thereafter an exchange of ideas took place in the Guild Chamber. 

Petro RaĂşl Villagra Delgado has been accredited as ambassador of his country in Germany since September 2019. Further appointments took the ambassador to Bremen’s City-State Assembly (Landtag) and the Chamber of Commerce – IHK for Bremen and Bremerhaven.

For further information 
Government of Bremen: https://www.senatspressestelle.bremen.de/detail.php?gsid=bremen146.c.344906.de&asl=bremen02.c.732.de

Korea contribution to the OPCW

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Republic of Korea Contributes €100,000 to Future OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology, €20,000 to Peaceful Use of Chemistry Workshop

In the picture, H.E. Mr. Yeondoo Jeong, Ambassador of South Korea.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands–2 October 2020–The Government of the Republic of Korea has contributed a further €100,000 to a special Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Trust Fund to support the project to upgrade the current OPCW Laboratory and Equipment Store.

This project will result in the construction of a new facility, the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology (“ChemTech Centre”). Additionally, a €20,000 contribution will augment the OPCW’s Trust Fund for Regional Seminars to help organise the ninth edition of the workshop on the peaceful development and use of chemistry for OPCW Member States in the Asian region, to be held in Seoul later this year.

Both contributions were formalised during a ceremony between the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Yeondoo Jeong, and OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, which was held at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague.

Ambassador Jeong remarked: “As a staunch supporter of the work of the OPCW, the Government of the Republic of Korea believes that the Organisation and States Parties should be capable enough to adapt themselves to newly evolving challenges and threats. It is in this spirit that the Korean Government decided to continue our annual contributions to the two important undertakings: the ChemTech Centre project to upgrade the existing OPCW laboratory, and the annual Seoul Workshop to assist Asian States Parties’ efforts in their chemical safety and security management. We hope our support will contribute to strengthening the international regime against chemical weapons.

“The Director-General expressed: “This contribution brings us a step closer to making the ChemTech Centre a reality. This common endeavour of all OPCW Member States will strengthen the OPCW’s scientific and technological ability to provide additional confidence in our verification regime.”

Director-General Arias appealed to all OPCW Member States in a position to make voluntary contributions to do so. He further emphasised the important role the new ChemTech Centre will play in strengthening the OPCW’s ability to address chemical weapon threats and enhance capacity building activities. He highlighted that “all contributions, regardless of size, are greatly appreciated”. So far, 43 Member States, Israel – a signatory state – and the European Union have contributed or pledged to contribute financially to the ChemTech Centre project, and a considerable amount has been raised to date.

Global solidarity overcoming COVID-19

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Global solidarity overcoming COVID-19

Joint Statement at General Debate of Third Committee

The Chinese representative at the UN General Assembly delivered a statement on behalf of a group of countries. Please read below the integral statement.

“I have the honor to deliver the following joint statement on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda, Angola, Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palestine, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Sudan, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and my own country China.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to severely affect all nations, in particular developing countries. The response to and recovery from COVID-19 requires global solidarity and international cooperation.

However, we continue to witness the application of unilateral coercive measures, which are contrary to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and International Law, multilateralism and the basic norms of international relations. Unilateral coercive measures have an undeniable impact on human rights, as they impede the full realization of social and economic development and hinder the well-being of the population in the affected countries, in particular women, children, including adolescents, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Unilateral coercive measures undermine the right to health, as they incumber access to medicines and medical technologies, equipment, and supplies. This is particularly relevant in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. UN senior officials and the international community have recognized the heavy, negative impact of these measures.

In that regard, we welcome the Secretary-General’s appeal of 26 March 2020 on the waiving of sanctions that undermine countries’ capacity to respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as the statement made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 23 March on the need to ease or suspend sectoral sanctions in light of their debilitating impact on the health sector and human rights. We also reaffirm the Group of 77 and China’s statement calling to adopt urgent and effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries, as well as the Non-Aligned Movement’s declaration on condemning unilateral coercive measures and urging their elimination to ensure the effectiveness of national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We also welcome the recently adopted General Assembly resolution entitled “Comprehensive and coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic”, which strongly urges States to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

We take note of the work on this issue of the Special Rapporteur on the Negative Impact of Unilateral Coercive Measures on the Enjoyment of Human Rights, other special procedures of the Human Rights Council and relevant human rights treaty bodies. We look forward for their further elaboration of this subject.

We seize this opportunity to call for the complete and immediate lifting of unilateral coercive measures, in order to ensure the full, effective and efficient response of all members of the international community to COVID-19.

Global solidarity and international cooperation are the most powerful weapons in fighting and overcoming COVID-19.

Almost twenty years after the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, instances like the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake continue to take place and vulnerable people continue to suffer or lose their lives to racism and police brutality. Such instances are a reminder that chronic and deep-rooted racial discrimination, police brutality and social inequality still exist. The COVID-19 mortality rate of minorities, in particular people of African descent, is disproportionately high in some countries.

We also express our deep concern over the health situation of migrants at immigration detention centers in certain countries that reflects a contemporary form of racial discrimination.

We welcome the adoption of the Human Rights Council resolution “The promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers”, and called for its full implementation.

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