Letter dated 12 February 2016 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council - First report of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (S/2016/142) [EN/AR]

I have the honour to convey herewith the first report of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (see annex).

I would be grateful if the present letter and its annex could be brought to the attention of the members of the Security Council.

(Signed) BAN Ki-moon

Annex

Letter of transmittal

The Leadership Panel of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism has the honour to transmit the Mechanism’s first report pursuant to Security Council resolution 2235 (2015) (see enclosure).

The report provides an overview of the work of the Mechanism to date, the sources of information available to it and the methodological considerations behind its investigative strategy. It also outlines the steps it will undertake in the next phase, during which case-by-case investigation will be undertaken, with the aim of identifying to the greatest extent feasible individuals, entities, groups or Governments who were perpetrators, organizers, sponsors or otherwise involved in the use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, in the Syrian Arab Republic.

(Signed) Virginia Gamba
Head
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons- United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism

(Signed) Adrian Neritani
Leadership Panel

(Signed) Eberhard Schanze
Leadership Panel

Enclosure

First report of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism

I. Introduction

1. The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 11 of Security Council resolution 2235 (2015). The reporting period covers the activities of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (hereinafter “the Mechanism”) to identify to the greatest extent feasible individuals, entities, groups or Governments who were perpetrators, organizers, sponsors or otherwise involved in the use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, in the Syrian Arab Republic from 24 September 2015, when the present mandate of the Mechanism commenced, until 10 February 2016.