UK hails motion passed by chemical weapons watchdog

The U.K. government praised a motion passed by the members of the international chemical weapons watchdog that will enable the body to identify those responsible of chemical attacks in Syria.

Describing chemical weapons as “an affront to human dignity”, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said they “have no place in the 21st century.”

Johnson’s comments came on Wednesday as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) members passed the motion in a special session, despite abstention from Russia, Iran and Syria.

“The international community has quite rightly come together today to strengthen the ban on chemical weapons and prevent impunity for their use,” Johnson said.

He said: “The UK has led the diplomatic efforts to secure this action. We look forward to working with all countries who are members of the Chemical Weapons Convention to implement the decisions taken today, and we will continue to push back on any efforts to undermine the ban on these vile weapons.”

In a special session held in The Hague, a joint draft motion initiated by the U.K. and submitted by 22 countries, including Turkey, was passed, expanding the powers of the international chemical watchdog.

The special OPCW session was called for by the U.K. and 10 other states, following the deadly chemical attack in Syria’s Douma and March 4 Salisbury nerve agent attack that targeted former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

The motion was passed with 82 votes against 24. The U.S. and EU voted in favor.

In April, an OPCW report confirmed “chlorine was likely used as a chemical weapon” in Syria’s Douma region.

“The special session of the Conference of States Parties in The Hague has today agreed that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will immediately start work to help identify those responsible for chemical attacks in Syria,” a statement by the British Foreign Office said.