OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism

The OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) in Syria was established after the United Nations Security Council in August 2015, unanimously adopted resolution 2235, aimed at identifying those behind chemical weapons attacks in Syria.[1][2]

Background

On 7 August 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 2235 (2015) to establish a joint investigation mechanism to identify individuals or entities responsible for use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war.[3] The resolution was drafted by the United States, and adopted by all 15 members of the Security Council; just two days after the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the US Secretary of State John Kerry reached an agreement on the drafted text in Kuala Lumpur.[4][5]

The resolution requested the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in coordination with the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, to submit recommendations for the establishment of the Investigative Mechanism within 20 days.[3] After that period they had to "undertake without delay the steps, measures, and arrangements necessary for the speedy establishment and full functioning of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, including recruiting impartial and experienced staff with relevant skills and expertise."[5] The Mechanism was fully operational on 13 November 2015, and its first report expected sometime in February 2016.[6]

The mission

The mission is tasked with identifying “individuals, entities, groups, or governments involved in the use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical,” in Syria.[5]

It issued its third report on 30 august 2016.[7] "The so-called Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), led by a three-person Leadership Panel (Virginia Gamba, Adrian Neritani, Eberhard Schanze), examined nine cases of previously-documented chemical weapons use to establish who was responsible for using them. The Panel found what it described as “sufficient evidence” of three cases of chemical weapons use – two chlorine gas attacks on civilians by the Syrian air force, and another use of “sulphur-mustard” gas by the terrorist group ISIL, or Daesh – in Syria between 2014 and 2015." According to Virginia Gamba, the cases examined were restricted by the Security council to "the last two years". "the first one was Talmenes- and that happened in 2014 on the 21st of April. The second one was the 16th of March 2015 in Sarmin- and these two were attributed to the Syrian Airforce; and the third one was on the 21st of August 2015, in the city of Marea- attributable to ISIS."

See also

References

  1. ↑ "UN to examine Syria chemical weapons attacks". BBC News. 7 August 2015.
  2. ↑ "U.N. Security Council adopts measure to investigate chemical weapons use in Syria". UPI. 7 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Who is responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria". EuropaNewswire. 7 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "U.S. and Russia to Back U.N. Vote on Chemical Attacks in Syria". The New York Times. 6 August 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "UNSC Passes Resolution on Chemical Weapon Attacks in Syria". Sputnik. 7 August 2015.
  6. ↑ "United Nations Signs Status of Mission Agreement with Syria". U.N. 11 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "INTERVIEW: The Syrian forces and ISIL used toxic chemicals as weapons – report". U.N. 30 August 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.