Noting that chlorine was the chemical first used as a chemical weapon on a
large scale in the Battle of Ypres in April 1915,
Noting the first, second, and third reports from the Organization for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact-Finding Mission, which was
mandated to establish the facts surrounding allegations of the use of toxic chemicals
for hostile purposes in the Syrian Arab Republic,
Noting the decision of the OPCW Executive Council of 4 February 2015 that,
while stating diverse views on these reports, expressed serious concern regarding
the findings of the Mission made with a high degree of confidence that chlorine has
been used repeatedly and systematically as a weapon in the Syrian Arab Republic,
Noting that this is the first ever documented instance of the use of toxic
chemicals as weapons within the territory of a State Party to the CWC,