A total of 24 states have established an international partnership against impunity for chemical weapons operations. The aim is to be able to identify and punish offenders more effectively, Declaration states. The proposal comes from French government and also includes Germany, United States, Turkey and United Kingdom.

The background is use of chemical weapons in Syria. The supporters of initiative want to collect, compile and store information toger. This data is to be used for prosecution. Those who used such weapons would have to be held accountable in order to create justice for victims and to prevent such "despicable attacks" from being carried out again, it is stated in Declaration.

The French government also imposed sanctions against 25 companies and those responsible for supporting "Syrian Development and manufacturing programme for chemical weapons". The assets of companies from Syria, Lebanon and France will be frozen, according to a government decree.

Tillerson accuses Russia of being jointly responsible

The partnership was closed on brink of a conference on Outlawing of chemical weapons in Paris. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused Russia of being jointly responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria. "Only yesterday, more than 20 civilians, mostly children, were victims of a clear chlorine-gas attack in Syria," said Tillerson. "Whoever is behind attacks: Russia ultimately bears responsibility for victims in eastern Ghuta and for many or Syrians who have been attacked with chemical weapons."

The Syrian Human Rights Observatory had previously announced that Syrian government had attacked rebel-controlled district Duma in province of east-Ghuta with poison gas. 21 people would have suffered from respiratory problems, including children, it was said. The information provided by Human Rights Observatory cannot be verified independently.

A United Nations team (UN) and Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had already accused Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad of having used chemical weapons against civilian population. According to French figures, re were at least 130 of such attacks in Syria between 2012 and 2017. Four of se are UN investigators specifically accusing Assad government.

The mandate of investigators had expired last year after Russia vetoed UN Security Council twice. The Russian government is allied with Assad. The Syrian government had denied use of chemical weapons.

Date Of Update: 24 January 2018, 12:02