https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/n...lame-7k3thhjhz
Chemical weapons watchdog wins powers to assign blame
The world’s chemical weapons watchdog was empowered to name and shame those responsible for chemical attacks in Syria after Britain won a victory over Russia yesterday.
Russian efforts to protect the Syrian regime from censure for using chemical weapons collapsed after a western alliance led by Britain voted overwhelmingly to give the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) enhanced powers to identify those behind the attacks in Syria. The vote, which passed by 82 to 24, came at the end of two days of wrangling at a special session of the OPCW in the Hague yesterday, the culmination of an intense diplomatic offensive by Britain to bolster the global ban on use of chemical weapons. Previously, the OPCW could say whether chemical weapons had been used, but not who was responsible.
Russia, with the help of allies including Syria, Iran and Venezuela, tried to prevent the resolution from reaching the floor, and accused Britain of seeking to politicise the OPCW. Britain called the session after Russia repeatedly blocked attempts to reform the watchdog’s mandate in the 41-member executive council. A record 143 countries out of 193 sent representatives and 30 co-sponsored the British resolution.
Britain was moved to act after the poisoning with a nerve agent of Sergei Skripal, the Russian former spy, and his daughter in Salisbury in March, an attack blamed on the Kremlin.
Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, hailed the “overwhelming” vote. “After the recent spate in the use of chemical weapons at Salisbury, Syria and elsewhere, it’s great that so many of our friends and partners have supported the UK,” he said. “The result of this vote is that the OPCW now has a crucial extra power . . . to point the finger at the organisation, the state, that they think is responsible, and that is crucial if we are going to deter the use of these vile weapons.”
Russia said the vote threw the body’s future into doubt. “A lot of the countries that voted against the measure are starting to think about how the organisation will exist and function in the future,” Georgy Kalamonov, Russia’s industry minister, said, adding that it faced “an artificially-created crisis”.