Syria seeks to join anti-chemical weapons pact on attack anniversary

Syria has formally requested to join the International Partnership Against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons, a move announced on the anniversary of the 2013 chemical attack on a Damascus suburb. The request was made public on the same date as the attack that killed hundreds of civilians in Ghouta, which the international community widely blamed on the Syrian government. Syria has consistently denied responsibility. The partnership is a voluntary group of countries that work together to support the enforcement of the global ban on chemical weapons. Its members focus on identifying those who use such arms and holding them accountable. Joining the partnership would not change Syria’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which it already signed in 2013. However, the request signals a shift in Syria’s public stance, as the country has long been accused of using chemical weapons during its civil war. The announcement has not yet drawn an official response from the partnership’s members, which include the United States and several European nations.