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This is What Happens During a Chemical Weapons Inspection
Sunil • Apr 18, 2018
This is What Happens During a Chemical Weapons Inspection
Wednesday 18 April 2018
Due to the ongoing war in Syria, any chemical weapons inspection there, either for removal or destruction of its stockpiles, or for chemical weapons use allegations, requires heightened security. OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) inspectors are fitted with bullet-proof vests and face possible life-threatening opposition.
In fact, inspectors have now experienced both having shots fired at them and roadside bombs, which destroyed one of their vehicles.
The current inspections in Douma will be looking for any evidence of chemical weapons, including the agents themselves as well as the remains of any munitions, including barrel bombs.
But in an active war zone, this can be difficult, and may be compromised by ongoing combat and/or efforts by the warring parties to hide evidence; even poor weather, such as heavy rain, can wash away some evidence.
The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) team of nine OPCW inspectors arrived in Damascus on 14 April, but was prevented from travelling immediately to Douma due to “pending security issues” raised by the Syrian and Russian governments, now reportedly in control of the area captured from rebel forces.
With over a week having elapsed since the suspected attack, forensic evidence of chlorine, which evaporates very quickly, may be difficult to find, but nerve agents tend to be much more persistent and could likely be obtained.
In addition to on-site munition-related evidence, inspectors also try to interview any victims, medical personnel and eyewitnesses to any alleged attack, in order to compare their accounts, and also seek to obtain blood and urine samples of both the dead and injured victims.
All forensic and medical samples are brought back to the OPCW under full chain of custody, thus preventing any tampering with evidence, and shared with at least two OPCW-accredited laboratories for comparative analysis.
When analysed with intelligence information concerning flight patterns of aircraft and helicopters in the area and other possible attack scenarios, this may allow the FFM inspectors to piece together a credible account of what actually happened on 7 April, whether chemical agents were involved, and which agents were used.
The inspectors are not mandated to seek accountability in these Syrian investigations, that is, to determine who may have undertaken such illegal attacks.
But the FFM reports, of which there have been a dozen or more to date, have been turned over to the United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), established by the UN Security Council in 2015 but unfortunately allowed to lapse last October due to a Russian veto of its extension.
Past JIM reports have found the Syrian government responsible for two sarin nerve agent and two chlorine attacks between 2014 and 2017; the UN reports have also found Islamic State responsible for two mustard agent attacks in 2015 and 2016.
The international Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) entered into force in 1997 banning the use of any chemical weapons in warfare, and requiring the verified and safe destruction of all existing chemical weapons stockpiles.
It is currently the most universal arms control treaty in existence, with 192 of 196 countries as members, and the OPCW, its international implementing agency in The Hague, has about 450 full-time staff.
The OPCW maintains an international inspectorate which regularly inspects all stockpile destruction efforts, currently still ongoing in the United States, and undertakes 241 annual inspections of chemical industry.
Since 1997, OPCW inspectors have verified the safe and irreversible elimination of more than 69,000 metric tons of deadly chemical agents in eight countries, representing more than 96% of declared chemical weapons arsenals.
OPCW inspectors have to date compiled an excellent and massive record of on-site inspections – 6,785 inspections at weapons-related and industry sites in 86 countries.
However, when Syria, under pressure from Russia, the US, and other CWC-member states, acceded to the CWC in 2013, it presented a new challenge.
In this latest suspected chemical attack, reports indicate dozens of citizens killed and hundreds injured – possibly by chlorine gas and sarin nerve agent, already known to have been used by Syrian government forces in at least four previous attacks between 2014 and 2017.
If this report by victims and medical personnel is found to be accurate, it will represent just one of hundreds of such reports since 2012 in the long and costly war in Syria.
Past reports of the OPCW FFM, as well as national statements, can be found on the OPCW website. UN reports can be found on the UN website.
ENVIRONMENTAL SYMPHONY: THE MOVEMENT UNITED NATIONS DAY CONCERT Performance for the United Nations New York City, United Nations Assembly Hall
Green Cross Japan published the 2021 version of the Green Lane Diary in May, and began (free of charge) distribution to primary schools nationwide in Japan.
One of Europe's biggest freshwater lakes. VÄTTERN BELOW THE SURFACE (Documentary 2020) Lake Vättern Below the Surface This documentary brings forth new perspective of Swedish water management. This film is an example of how water management can be risking human health and water quality, not only in Sweden but in countries worldwide. The problem is most of the countries in the western world does not have a functioning water management, nor do they have field personnel or fully employed environmental diving inspectors checking the ecosystem below the surface. Eurofins, a major company in Europe testing for different toxins and substances, can today only provide data on approximately 300 substances. From a average sewer plant there can be an outlet of some 10 000 to a 100 000 chemicals. We cannot see chemicals, but we can see the effects when we dive. What we see are dead ecosystems at the bottom of lakes with algal blooms containing toxic cyanobacteria as a result of chemical discharge. These cyanotoxins are today linked with human diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson, to name a few. The problem is we don't really know how many toxins there are in our drinking water, or in the food we eat. The film Lake Vättern Below the Surface documents this issue. The international community must begin to reevaluate how we are going to solve this problem. After you view this film some things to consider and discuss are the following topics below. These challenges we now see can easily be solved in a first stage. What is needed is to assess the level of toxic discharge there is in national water systems. We need to begin by digitizing all outlets and create an overview map of the difference in toxins found in the water systems. Then an overall plan can be tailormade made for the infrastructure in country and for the local communities. A common sense example is that placing heavy industrial complexes upstream freshwater lakes which are utilized for drinking water is not a good idea. Sweden has already solved the first stage and created a database showing the direction all water flow in the country, meaning the surface water and most of the groundwater. If a lorry with toxic cargo tips over we can follow the contamination downstream in the database and see how it affects the water system. What the country of Swedish has not realized is that we have laid the foundation for a much bigger database. Within this system we have the possibility to register the toxic discharge that is currently approved by the government. We can for example register into the database the estimated 6,000 covered dumping sites currently leaking toxic wastewater, as well as our thousands of sewer plants, industrial outlets, and the dumping locations of munition materials by Armed Forces. This can be done to provide an overview to assess the impact of the chemical outlets to our water systems. The governments have the necessary data to make this happen. This can be an effective tool to control and stop to sensitive ecosystems and keep our citizens and future generations safe. The next two steps involve diving and field personnel to survey the water systems and assess the state of ecosystems below the surface, in each country. Most important is to begin researching the methods for sampling the thousands of chemicals in our water. If we do not stop the dissemination of toxic chemicals today it could take years into the future before we solve what will become an even greater challenge to provide clean water, which is safe to drink. We need to know what our water contains to keep people, animals and the ecosystem out of harm's way. Water security will also be a major challenge for governments worldwide with the challenge of climate change. Green Cross Sweden, together with Green Cross international, are in talks with the water researchers behind this film to create a pilot studies in several countries that can address this issue or water management internationally on an global scale. Together we can change the world towards a sustainable future. - Andreas Vos Board Member, Green Cross Sweden
Green Cross Japan implemented an environmental education project for school children in 2020. Despite the difficulties posed by the global pandemic, the project has been a success and will continue into 2021.
The signing of a contract for a grant from the Japanese Government signified the start of the fourth joint water project between Green Cross Sri Lanka and Green Cross Japan.
Switzerland, (July 1, 2019) — Following several months of discussion by the Green Cross International (GCI) Board of Directors, Diane Meyer Simon will assume the chair of Green Cross International from Martin Bäumle as per July 1 2019. Bäumle will remain on the GCI Board of Directors. Diane Meyer Simon is the Founder & Co-Chair of Global Green, the American Affiliate of Green Cross International. Simon founded Global Green in 1993 following a Moscow Board Meeting of Green Cross International and in alignment with her dear friend, President Mikhail Gorbachev. For the past quarter-century, Simon has spearheaded Global Green USA’s agenda and mission, to foster a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure future for people, places, and the planet in need. Global Green serves as a model for urban sustainability with projects in responsible resource recovery, green urban design, affordable housing, water management, environmental policy, and climate resilience. Most notable are Global Green’s efforts in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, as well as long-time influence on the Hollywood community – with key Global Green celebrities acting as the essential mouthpiece to environmental advocacy and a more sustainable future. Diane Meyer Simon assumes the helm at Green Cross International during a time of great transition and influence. Green Cross is grateful for Bäumle’s great efforts to benefit GCI in recent years by implementing a leaner structure and several cost saving measures. With her new position, Diane is poised to fortify Green Cross and its mission as originally intended by her dear friend, Gorbachev. In 1990, Green Cross was introduced as a source of global aid to a world in ecological trouble–resembling the emergency response model of the Red Cross. In 1993, Green Cross International was founded in hopes of expediting solutions to environmental problems that transcend national borders. Today, Simon is motivated to defend GCI’s programmatic pillars: Value Shift; Social & Medical (SOC MED); Environmental Security & Sustainability (ESS); Water for Life & Peace; and Smart Energy. Together Green Cross and Global Green’s mission and programs live in harmony, a collaborative response to challenges of environmental security, poverty, and degradation in order to ensure a sustainable and secure future. Diane Meyer Simon’s family serve as her every inspiration and primary motivation to actualize an enlightened human race. A human race with an understanding of the inter-relationship of humans with our living Earth. Simon believes we must learn to lighten the human load on Earth’s resources. Her work with Global Green and Green Cross International is her deepest hope for both her children’s future, as well as all of Earth’s future generations. ABOUT: Global Green USA is dedicated to helping the people, places, and the planet in need through catalytic projects, transformative policy, and cutting-edge research. Global Green USA’s signature programs include greening affordable housing, neighborhoods, and cities as well as rebuilding communities — such as New Orleans and areas of New York and New Jersey — that have suffered from the impacts of climate change, sea level rise, and environmental degradation. Global Green USA is the U.S. affiliate of Green Cross International, which was founded by President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1993 to foster a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure future. For more information, visit globalgreen.org and follow us @globalgreen . Green Cross International works to promote legal, ethical and behavioral norms to ensure basic changes in values, actions and attitudes of government, the private sector and civil society, necessary to develop a sustainable global community. GCI’s programmatic pillars focus on the critical nexus in the quest for a just, secure and sustainable future for humanity. President Mikhail Gorbachev founded Green Cross International in 1993; its key programs include Water for Life & Peace, Environmental Security & Sustainability, Social & Medical, Smart Energy, and Value Shift.
Above: Sculpture depicting St. George slaying the dragon. The dragon is created from fragments of Soviet SS-20 and United States Pershing nuclear missiles. UN Photo/Milton Grant GCI ESS programme director Dr Paul F. Walker commemorates this day with the following: “September 26th is an important annual reminder that the world has pledged for over half a century to abolish nuclear weapons. This was a major part of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty under Article VI, and has remained a global priority for all to build a more peaceful and sustainable world. Unfortunately some 14,500 nuclear weapons remain in nine nuclear powers today, with Russia and the US accounting for the great majority, and Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan the remainder. It’s long past time that Russia and the United States further reduce their thousands of nuclear weapons, that all countries ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), and also join the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Our world will be a more secure and sustainable planet, and billions of funds will be freed for much needed socio-economic priorities.” You can find the UN statement here.Above: Sculpture depicting St. George slaying the dragon. The dragon is created from fragments of Soviet SS-20 and United States Pershing nuclear missiles. UN Photo/Milton Grant GCI ESS programme director Dr Paul F. Walker commemorates this day with the following: “September 26th is an important annual reminder that the world has pledged for over half a century to abolish nuclear weapons. This was a major part of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty under Article VI, and has remained a global priority for all to build a more peaceful and sustainable world. Unfortunately some 14,500 nuclear weapons remain in nine nuclear powers today, with Russia and the US accounting for the great majority, and Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan the remainder. It’s long past time that Russia and the United States further reduce their thousands of nuclear weapons, that all countries ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), and also join the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Our world will be a more secure and sustainable planet, and billions of funds will be freed for much needed socio-economic priorities.” You can find the UN statement here .
The Shoe Project is a collaboration between Green Cross Japan , Green Cross Sweden and the Green Belt Movement (GBM) in Kenya, which distributed some 1,000 shoes to children and youth in the Rift Valley, last February.
Press Release – 28 August 2018 The Swedish authorities are called upon to take action as World Water Week opens in Stockholm. Tuesday 28 August 2018, Geneva, Switzerland –– Green Cross Sweden , with the support of Green Cross International , and along with Urbergsgruppen Grenna-Norra Kärr, denounces the current and proposed mining activities of Tasman Metals AB as endangering public health and the ecosystems around Lake Vättern, one of Europe’s most important sources of drinking water. The Norra Kärr mining project is too great a threat to allow its continuation, and all related activities in the area must cease, including the collection of ore samples for prospecting purposes through test drilling. According to existing Swedish and EU environmental codes it should be impossible for such a mining lease to be granted. Should this mining project nevertheless be authorised, we demand that civil society plays an active role in the review and approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) being prepared by Tasman Metals AB, prior to its submission to the Swedish mining authorities. This EIA study must also include the damages already caused by prospecting activities, and fully disclose their plans for eliminating health risks and reducing the environmental cost of their operations. Should the process go ahead, we strongly recommend that a site-specific environmental risk assessment is done, where the local concerns of the mine and the releases of chemicals are addressed. Since 2009, Tasman Metals AB (a Swedish subsidiary of Leading Edge Materials Ltd, a Canadian mining group) has sought to acquire an exploitation concession from the Mining Inspectorate of Sweden to extract rare earth elements (REE) as close as 1.5 kilometres from Lake Vättern. Despite losing their exploitation concession in 2016, and following a successful appeal by local stakeholders, Tasman Metals AB has restarted the application process, which includes current prospecting activities. While prospecting can cause damage to the environment, the company has already been test drilling throughout the region as a part of these operations. Future mining will impact the integrity of Lake Vättern, as toxic and radioactive substances can seep into the groundwater, polluting the water resources. Lake Vättern provides drinking water for approx. 250,000 people, in 11 municipalities, and with an additional 8 municipalities on the way, making an estimated total of 500,000 people in the near future. The presence of some 5,500 tonnes of ammunition at the bottom of the lake, due to military activity, constitutes another potential risk for public health and the lake’s ecosystem. This issue was highlighted at Green Cross Sweden’s Protect Lake Vättern event in March 2018 by Hans Sanderson, Senior Scientist and advisor for Dept. of Environmental Science, Aarhus University and advisor for the Danish Center for Energy and the Environment (DCE), in collaboration with Green Cross International, the local environmental group Urbergsgruppen Grenna-Norra Kärr, and parliamentary leaders. According to Gunilla Högberg Björck, the environmental lawyer with GBH Environmental Law, representing the NGOs and local citizens in the aforementioned successful appeal to the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court in 2016 against Tasman Metals AB: “If they are fully enforced, the Swedish and EU environmental codes should not allow the granting of the necessary permits to start any mining project, regardless of how thorough the EIA is. If it is nevertheless granted, an exploitation concession would allow Tasman to drill, blast, and deplete the natural resources of the region for at least the next 25 years.” The company currently has until September 28, 2018 to submit a new, more thorough and extensive EIA, which now has to cover a whole 10 square kilometres around the mine, rather than just the proposed open pit mining area. In a time when our planet and all its ecosystems are facing the consequences of climate change – such as the droughts and wildfires that have been occurring across Sweden – it is imperative that we preserve our precious watersheds for future generations. Lake Vättern is a notably deep cold water lake, filled with crystal clear water – something that will prove to be of even greater importance in the future, as shallower lakes become warmer and allow microorganisms, bacteria and algae to grow and flourish to worsening levels and threatening the fish population. Deep water intakes allow the provision of high quality drinking water. For these reasons, the importance of protecting and preserving Lake Vättern cannot be overstated. Marie-Laure Vercambre, Green Cross International’s Water for Life and Peace Programme Director, paints a broader picture: “The adoption by the international community of a Sustainable Development Goal for Water, and of several UN resolutions recognising the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, reflects the urgency of the matter. What measures will States take to meet these goals and honour their populations’ human rights? How compatible is this industrial development with those environmental and public health goals?” This sentiment is mirrored by Carina Gustafsson, Chair of Urbergsgruppen Grenna-Norra Kärr: “We must strengthen the protection of our drinking water, as groundwater levels are at an all time low and Sweden and the world are burning. A secure supply of drinking water is an issue of survival and has to rank in highest priority. This is why we urge the Swedish authorities to prohibit the implementation of environmentally hazardous industrial projects, such as Tasman Metal’s Norra Kärr mining project, which is so close bordering Lake Vättern, in order to protect and secure all vital drinking water sources.” The original press release can be accessed here in English and French .
The fifth international therapeutic camp was launched this week, in parallel to annual therapeutic camps organised in several Green Cross partner countries. This therapeutic camp, whose motto is: “Discovering the World”, is financed by the Movetia Foundation and supported by the Swiss Confederation. From 23 July to 10 August, 55 young people aged 14 to 17 from Moldova, Italy, Japan, Russia, Sweden, Belarus, the Netherlands, Ukraine and Switzerland will participate in the Green Cross Uster and Wimmis therapeutic camp. The programme includes the development of a theatre project about environmental pollution directed by Eugeniu Matchovschi, from the national Moldovan theatre, Theatrul Satiricus. The play is based on the Earth Charter and touches upon the carelessness with which human beings treat the environment. The show will be presented at the following dates and times: Monday, 30 July at 17:00 in the café “8610 im Stadtpark” Tuesday, 31 July at 18:00 in the Market Square (Marktplatz) in Winterthur Thursday, 2 August at 17:00 on the Gemüsebrücke Bridge in Zurich Friday, 3 August at 12:00 in the Place du Grenier (Kornhausplatz) in Bern Monday, 6 August at 19:00 in the Aula Hall of the Chrümig school in Wimmis Wednesday, 8 August 2018 at 16:00 in the Manor Square (Manorplatz) of Thun Young and old alike are invited to these performances. Entry is free. The therapeutic camps involve various intercultural activities, such as sports, environmental education, and building communication skills. In the workshops, the campers discuss topics such as the 2030 Agenda, recycling, and renewable energy. They also get the opportunity to learn about the situations of other countries relating to these topics. Key themes of the Green Cross therapeutic camps include the management of daily radioactivity exposure, learning about the effects of radiation on humans and the environment, and coming up with new perspectives for the future. To this end, for example, the campers visit the Juckerhof Discovery Farm near Lake Pfäffikon to pick berries. This activity illustrates how the pectin fibres found in fruit can be used as a natural method to absorb radionuclides within the body. During the camp, the young people also benefit from a medical and psychological check-up. The levels of radioactivity within their bodies are assessed at the beginning and end of the camp. The campers learn how to strengthen their immune systems through proper meal selection and preparation, physical activity and therapy, and by strengthening their home-skills. For many participants, the camp is a unique opportunity to meet young people of the same age from different countries and cultures. Previous camps have shown that many new friendships are born from these experiences. This year’s therapeutic camp in Switzerland, which the Movetia Foundation has funded in order to promote cultural exchange, is the result of Green Cross Switzerland’s Social Medical (SOCMED) programme. SOCMED is dedicated to health and education. Green Cross Switzerland has welcomed children and young people to participate in these four-week therapeutic camps since 1995, and separate camps are also held in preserved and uncontaminated areas of Moldova, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Medical and psychological support, as well as a balanced diet for the duration of the camp, allows the campers to strengthen their immune systems and reduce the level of radioactivity present in their bodies by up to 80%. To learn more about past Green Cross therapy camps, click here. This report was originally posted on the Green Cross Switzerland website.
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