Seychelles condemns use of chemical weapons in Syria |20 September 2013

Seychelles condemns the use of chemical weapons, said its permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Marie-Louise Potter, when she addressed the United Nations (UN) general assembly in a session held in New York on Tuesday.

Mrs Potter was presenting Seychelles’ position following the release of the UN report on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Ambassador Potter firmly condemned the use of chemical weapons “by any state, or by any entity”, which she described as a war crime requiring the perpetrators to be held accountable.

“The Seychelles delegation joins other delegations in condemning the use of such weapons which contravenes the Convention on Chemical Weapons as well as principles which are enshrined within the UN Charter. Furthermore we would like to call on fellow states to continually work together to ensure that the use of chemical weapons is never a viable option, against any target, civilian or otherwise.

“We must hold ourselves to the highest standards in the application of the CWC so that the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons is strictly adhered to. As the international community, we must also ensure that the consequences of deviating from these principles are reflective of the true magnitude and heinousness of this crime,” said the ambassador.

The Seychelles delegation went on to express their solidarity with the families of all the victims of the attack, as well as all those suffering from the on-going conflict:

“This shocking report must further strengthen our resolve to find a peaceful end to the conflict which has killed over 100,000 people. Seychelles continues to express its condemnation with regards to the unacceptable loss of civilian life perpetrated by both sides in the on-going conflict.”
The ambassador added that Seychelles welcomed the agreement between the US and Russia on the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons and called upon the partners to build on the agreement in an effort to bring an end to the conflict.

Ambassador Potter concluded by reiterating Seychelles’ commitment to using the mechanisms of the UN to bring peace to the Syrian people:

“Seychelles would like to reiterate the importance of prioritising cooperation through the framework of the United Nations as the basis for resolution of this crisis, and believes that this new agreement further strengthens the perspectives for such a resolution.”