The former dictator Bashar al-Assad was repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons during the 13-year-long civil war in Syria. There has been widespread concern in the world about what will happen to Syria's weapons stockpile since al-Assad was overthrown on December 8.
Assad's regime's program for chemical weapons is one of the darkest chapters in both Syria's and the world's history, says Shaibani in his speech.
For more than a decade ago, Syria agreed to hand over its declared stockpile for destruction, but the OPCW believes that the declaration was incomplete and that more weapons have still not been accounted for.
This program for chemical weapons, which was created during the Assad era, is not our program. Yet, our commitment is to dismantle whatever remains of it, says Shaibani.
Assad's fall has brought about a "new and historic opportunity" to finally document and destroy the stockpiles of chemical weapons in Syria, said OPCW's Director-General Fernando Arias in his opening speech to the delegates on Tuesday.
