Destruction of Syria's chemical weapons

The divided U.N. Security Council on Oct. 10 failed to agree on a statement to condemn Turkey's operation in Syria, as the United States and Russia refused to take part in a joint statement.

A visit by chemical weapons inspectors to the site of a suspected gas attack in Syria was delayed on April 16, British and Russian officials said, as Western powers and Russia traded accusations in the aftermath of retaliatory U.S.-led missile strikes.

European Union foreign ministers on April 16 backed "all efforts" to stop Syria using chemical weapons, after weekend strikes by Britain, France and the U.S., but called for renewed efforts to find a political solution to the seven-year war.

Russia vetoed a UN Security Council draft text on April 10 that would have established a new expert body to determine culpability for a suspected chemical attack in Syria.       

Since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, there has been conclusive evidence that chemical weapons have been used against civilians at different times and locations. The death toll as a result of chemical agents has already exceeded many thousands. In Ghouta, for example, a chemical attack by the al-Assad regime on Aug. 21, 2013 killed almost 1,500 people.

Russia and China have vetoed a UN resolution to impose sanctions on Syria over the alleged use of chemical weapons.

 
It is the seventh time Russia has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to protect the Syrian government.

 
China has also vetoed six security council resolutions on Syria since the civil war began in 2011.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on August 9 warned against what he called unfounded claims that Syria has chemical weapons, as the United Nations Security Council investigates deadly chlorine gas attacks.

The U.N. Security Council is expected to unanimously approve a resolution on August 7 aimed at identifying those responsible for using chlorine and other chemical weapons in attacks in Syria that have killed and injured a growing number of civilians.

The United Nations (UN( revealed on Tuesday the scale of destruction cultural heritage sites have suffered due to the ongoing war in Syria.

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The destruction of 12 chemical weapons facilities in Syria is expected to start later this month.

Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, says the work should be complete by the end of June 2015.