LOC23:03
20:03 GMT
NEW YORK, Aug 27 (KUNA) -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon submitted Thursday to the Security Council the requested recommendations of the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), to be established by the resolution on the use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, in the Syrian Arab Republic.
Pursuant to Resolution 2235, the recommendations, including elements of terms of Reference submitted by Ban, were in coordination with the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) Director General.
In a statement released by the spokesman's office, it noted that Ban reiterated that Resolution 2235, which was unanimously adopted by the Security Council earlier this month, "is a strong collective message from the international community that any such use shall not be tolerated and will have consequences."
The international community, he added, has a responsibility to hold the perpetrators accountable and to ensure that chemical weapons never be used again as an instrument of warfare.
In his statement, Ban said that the continuing reports of the use of chemical weapons, as well as the use of toxic chemicals as a weapon in the Syrian conflict are "deeply disturbing," and condemned any such use by any party to the conflict.
Moreover, the UN chief called on all parties in the Syrian Arab Republic to cooperate fully with the JIM, and that he counts on the continued engagement and support of the members of the Security Council as well as the entire UN membership to ensure the effective implementation of this resolution.
The Resolution that was adopted with Council unanimous support on August 7, expresses its determination to identify those responsible for these acts and reiterates that those individuals, entities, groups, or governments responsible for any use of chemicals as weapons, including chlorine or any other toxic chemical, must be held accountable. (end)
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