SBC co-organised the first Syrian Civil Society Conference on Chemical Weapons
On Thursday, November 23rd, on the sidelines of the Annual Conference of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, a group of Syrian civil and human rights organizations, including the Syrian British Council, organized a special conference in The Hague on the use of chemical weapons in Syria. The conference was attended by approximately 120 individuals from various Syrian organizations and entities working in documentation, advocacy, accountability, victim and survivor support, in addition to high-level diplomatic representation from around 25 countries and international organizations, including representatives from international investigation mechanisms in Syria.
During the conference, survivors provided testimonies about recurrent chemical attacks in different Syrian regions, local response plans, and documentation efforts carried out by Syrian organizations. Discussions also touched upon the Syrian regime's strategy and that of its allies to distort facts, intimidate witnesses, hinder the work of international investigative teams, and rely on widespread misleading propaganda across various media platforms. The conference addressed a wide range of policy and legal proposals aiming to establish an international mechanism for holding all those involved in the use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria accountable. Additionally, an exhibition featuring artwork related to chemical attacks by Syrian artists was held on the sidelines of the conference.
We are pleased to share with you the concluding statement of the conference and the recommendations that emerged from it.
The final statement and recommendations in English:
Final statement in Arabic:
Images from the conference:
