International Efforts Against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria

Abstract

Abstract This article examines international developments in the investigation of incidents involving the use of chemical weapons (CWs) in Syria between 2012 and 2021. Specifically, it analyses the measures adopted by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in cooperation with the United Nations, and the progress in eliminating the Syrian chemical weapons programme. The article further addresses the international community’s responses to the use of CWs in Syria from the perspective of international law, and its inability to hold those responsible accountable and to offer redress the victims. Such inability is illustrated by the somewhat weak action following two reports of the Investigation and Identification Team of the OPCW, which clearly indicated that the authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic are behind a number of CW attacks in Syria. The article argues that the lack of international justice, despite clear evidence of blatant violations, is rooted in the fundamental differences between major powers within the Security Council, as well as in the existing gaps in the law.