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UN chief appoints head of team probing chemical attacks in Syria

Xinhua, September 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Tuesday the head of an investigative mechanism to identify the perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria.

Virginia Gamba of Argentina is going to head the independent three-member panel to be set up to lead the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the UN and the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The UN Security Council has authorized last week the UN Secretary-General's recommendations to establish and operate the mechanism.

Gamba is currently serving as director and deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs in the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. She has provided key support to two earlier missions related to chemical weapons in Syria.

"She will assume overall responsibility of the JIM with two deputies responsible for the political and investigative components respectively," said a statement released by Ban's spokesperson.

Earlier last month, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on JIM. The statement also said that the UN chief called on Security Council members to ensure effective implementation of the resolution and all parties in Syria to cooperate fully with the JIM.

The Syrian conflict began when nationwide protests against President Bashar al-Assad met with violent government crackdowns in 2011. Over four years on, there is still no solution in sight. Enditem