Syrian Arab Republic
The Syrian Arab Republic participated in the negotiations on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in 2017, but did not cast a vote on the adoption of the Treaty. It has also never cast a vote on the annual UN General Assembly resolutions on the TPNW. It maintains policies and practices that are compatible with all of the prohibitions in Article 1 of the TPNW, and can therefore sign and ratify or accede to the Treaty without the need for a change in conduct.
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | No | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Ratified 1969) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | No | |
| Party to an NWFZ | No | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1992) | |
| AP with the IAEA | No | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | No (Signed 1972) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Acceded 2013) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compatibility in 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compatible |
| Possess or stockpile | Compatible | |
| Test | Compatible | |
| (b) | Transfer | Compatible |
| (c) | Receive transfer or control | Compatible |
| (d) | Use | Compatible |
| Threaten to use | Compatible | |
| (e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compatible |
| (f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compatible |
| (g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compatible |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| UNGA resolution on TPNW (latest vote) | Never voted |
| Participated in 3MSP (2025) | No |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | No |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | No |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | N/A |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Did not vote |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations (2017) | Yes |
| Negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Did not vote |
| Fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Nuclear facilities | Yes |
| Fissile material production | No |
| HEU stocks | At least 1 kg |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
| SQP with the IAEA | No (Terminated) |
Latest developments
At the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Preparatory Committee meeting in April 2025, Syria said that it remains committed to implementing its obligations under various international treaties, ‘including those related to global disarmament’, and noted that it was among the first States in the Middle East to join the NPT. ‘The disarmament of nuclear weapons by the possessor States is necessary and should not be conditional on other measures,’ it emphasized.1
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2025, Syria called on the nuclear-weapon States to initiate negotiations for ‘a comprehensive agreement on the complete elimination of nuclear weapons within a specific timeframe’ and underscored the need to establish a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.2
Recommendations
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Syria should urgently adhere to the TPNW. Until it is in a position to do so, it should welcome the TPNW as a valuable component in the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture, work with the Treaty's states parties on practical steps towards disarmament, and attend the meetings of states parties as an observer.
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Syria should conclude and bring into force an Additional Protocol (AP) with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
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Syria should adhere to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and ratify the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).