The destruction of the facilities is expected to be completed within two to three months from the start of work, Thomas Markram, director and deputy high representative for disarmament affairs, told the Security Council. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will verify the destruction. An OPCW fact-finding mission is in Damascus, looking into allegations of chemical weapons use.

The persistent allegations of chemical weapon use in Syria underscore the need to reach an agreement on an accountability mechanism, Markram said.