DHAKA: The United Nations has formally accepted Syria’s application to join the chemical weapons convention, a spokesperson said.

The UN welcomed Syria joining the Chemical Weapons Convention, after it received the formal instrument of accession to it by the Assad regime.

Syria applied Thursday to join the convention, which bans the production and stockpiling of chemical weapons and orders the destruction of existing stocks. But UN lawyers asked the government for information before it could be accepted.

The Secretary-General, in his capacity as the depositary of the 1992 Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, Saturday received the formal instrument of accession to the Convention by Syria, the UN spokesperson said, Hindustan Times publishes this report on Sunday.

Under the Convention, any State may accede to it at any time.

The Convention will enter into force for the Syrian Arab Republic on the 30th day following the date of deposit of this instrument of accession, on October 14 in 2013.

‘The Secretary-General welcomes the accession of the Syrian Arab Republic to this Convention,’ the spokesperson said.

BDST: 2033 HRS, SEPT 15, 2013
RoR/RK