Pakistan expressed appreciation for Syria's commitment to fully implement the Chemical Weapons Convention and lauded its cooperation to secure suspected chemical weapons sites and address outstanding issues, welcoming the progress achieved. It urged that the OPCW Technical Secretariat be empowered to carry out independent verification to eliminate suspected chemical weapons in Syria and any proliferation risks, in full compliance with the CWC. The statement emphasized that enhancing the capacity of Syrian authorities would strengthen the OPCW's work, including in declaration, investigation, analysis and verification, and should be pursued on an expedited basis. Delivered by Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the Middle East (Syria/Chemical Weapons), the overall message was a call for continued cooperation, transparency and capacity-building to ensure elimination of chemical weapons and prevent proliferation.