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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Syria chemical weapons inspections 'to begin next week' | Syria chemical weapons inspections 'to begin next week' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Experts from the world's chemical weapons watchdog will begin inspecting Syria's stockpile by Tuesday, a draft agreement says. | Experts from the world's chemical weapons watchdog will begin inspecting Syria's stockpile by Tuesday, a draft agreement says. |
| The draft also unusually authorises the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate sites not declared by Damascus. | |
| The text is due to be voted on at a meeting in The Hague later on Friday. | The text is due to be voted on at a meeting in The Hague later on Friday. |
| It will then be incorporated into a UN Security Council resolution calling on Syria to give up its chemical weapons. | It will then be incorporated into a UN Security Council resolution calling on Syria to give up its chemical weapons. |
| The resolution will condemn the use of chemical weapons in an attack on the outskirts of Damascus last month which killed hundreds of people, but will not attribute blame. | The resolution will condemn the use of chemical weapons in an attack on the outskirts of Damascus last month which killed hundreds of people, but will not attribute blame. |
| If Syria fails to comply, a second resolution would be required to impose measures under Chapter VII of the UN charter, including the use of force. | If Syria fails to comply, a second resolution would be required to impose measures under Chapter VII of the UN charter, including the use of force. |
| Appeal for funding | Appeal for funding |
| Earlier this month, the US and Russia asked the OPCW to decide how to ensure the "complete elimination of all chemical weapons material and equipment" in Syria by the first half of 2014. | Earlier this month, the US and Russia asked the OPCW to decide how to ensure the "complete elimination of all chemical weapons material and equipment" in Syria by the first half of 2014. |
| After two weeks of discussions, the OPCW's 41-nation executive council is scheduled to vote at 20:00 GMT on the organisation's plans for meeting that deadline. They need a simple majority to be passed, but decisions are normally agreed upon by consensus. | After two weeks of discussions, the OPCW's 41-nation executive council is scheduled to vote at 20:00 GMT on the organisation's plans for meeting that deadline. They need a simple majority to be passed, but decisions are normally agreed upon by consensus. |
| The draft agreement calls for inspections of Syria's chemical arsenal to begin by Tuesday. An advance team would probably arrive on Monday. | The draft agreement calls for inspections of Syria's chemical arsenal to begin by Tuesday. An advance team would probably arrive on Monday. |
| The text also authorises the OPCW to inspect "any other site identified by a State Party as having been involved in the Syrian chemical weapons programme, unless deemed unwarranted by the director general". | The text also authorises the OPCW to inspect "any other site identified by a State Party as having been involved in the Syrian chemical weapons programme, unless deemed unwarranted by the director general". |
| The OPCW usually only inspects sites that have been declared by states which have acceded to the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). | The OPCW usually only inspects sites that have been declared by states which have acceded to the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). |
| The draft agreement calls for urgent funding to hire inspectors and technical experts to destroy an estimated 1,000 tonnes of chemical agents and pre-cursor chemicals, including the blister agent, sulphur mustard, and the nerve agents, sarin and VX. | The draft agreement calls for urgent funding to hire inspectors and technical experts to destroy an estimated 1,000 tonnes of chemical agents and pre-cursor chemicals, including the blister agent, sulphur mustard, and the nerve agents, sarin and VX. |
| Established to enforce the CWC, the OPCW has an annual budget of less than $100m (£62m) and fewer than 500 staff. Experts say the disarmament operation in Syria could cost billions of dollars. | Established to enforce the CWC, the OPCW has an annual budget of less than $100m (£62m) and fewer than 500 staff. Experts say the disarmament operation in Syria could cost billions of dollars. |