US Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack on Friday welcomed the restoration of Syria's rights and privileges at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), calling it a "meaningful milestone."
"Congratulations to Syria on the restoration of its rights and privileges at the OPCW a meaningful milestone," Barrack said in a post on the US social media company X.
He said the decision reflected the "remarkable progress" made by Syria's new government and its commitment to engaging responsibly with the international community.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also welcomed the decision on Thursday, calling it "a historic step" that reflects Syria's restored international standing.
"In a historic step reflecting Syria's restored international position, the Syrian Arab Republic today regained all of its rights and privileges in the OPCW by unprecedented consensus among member states," al-Shaibani wrote on X.
He thanked Syria's diplomatic mission in The Hague and all OPCW member states for their support, giving special thanks to Qatar for its "pivotal role" and continued backing in securing the outcome.
Barrack's remarks came a day after the OPCW Executive Council adopted by consensus a draft decision restoring Syria's full rights and privileges under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
"The decision was co-sponsored by 67 States Parties from different regional groups and adopted by consensus," the organization said in a statement.
In May, al-Shaibani announced progress in eliminating chemical weapons remnants from the Assad era after authorities discovered and secured stockpiles of munitions, materials and manufacturing equipment pending destruction.
Syria joined the OPCW on Sept. 13, 2013, following the Aug. 21, 2013 chemical attack on Eastern Ghouta and Moadamiyat al-Sham near Damascus that killed more than 1,400 civilians, including hundreds of women and children.
Later that month, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2118, leading to a joint OPCW-UN mission that oversaw the destruction of Syria's declared chemical weapons stockpile by August 2014.
Subsequent OPCW investigations concluded that the Assad regime continued to use chemical weapons, including sarin and chlorine, in attacks such as those in Ltamenah in March 2017 and Saraqib in February 2018. In response, OPCW member states voted in April 2021 to suspend some of Syria's rights and privileges within the organization.
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in November 2025, Syria reactivated its permanent mission to the OPCW in The Hague and appointed Mohammad Katoub as its permanent representative.
