Professor Åke Sellström skal lede en såkaldt fact-finding mission i Syrien, som skal undersøge om, der er anvendt kemiske våben under borgerkrigen i landet.
NEW YORK, 26. March 2013 (UN News Service): Mr. Sellström, currently a project manager at a Swedish research institute, is “an accomplished scientist with a solid background in disarmament and international security,” UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky said in New York.
He has taught at universities in the United States and served as Director at the Swedish Defense and Security Research Institute (FOI). He has also served in several capacities with the UN, including as senior adviser to the chairs of the UN bodies dealing with the disarmament of Iraq.
Mr. Ban announced the investigation last Thursday, after receiving a formal request from the Syrian Government. He has also received a request from France and the United Kingdom to investigate several incidents of alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria.
“The terms of reference for the mission are being finalized in consultation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
While the terms of reference are being finalized, work is already well under way so that the mission can be dispatched quickly,” said Mr. Nesirky.
