The Russian Federation, the encumbent president of the United Nations Security Council for the current month of October 2020, wanted to hear the testimony of Brazilian diplomat José Mauricio Bustani [photo], former director-general of the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons), regarding the evolution of the institution. However, Belgium, Germany, Estonia, the United States, France and the United Kingdom opposed the motion.

This is the first time in the history of the United Nations that a witness called by the President of the Security Council has been challenged by other members of the Council.

On 23 October 2013, the Courage association released the investigation of a group of seven experts, including José Bustani, concluding that the OPCW report on the chemical attack in Douma (Syria, 7 April 2018) had been falsified by the general secretariat; namely by the Director General of the Organization’s the chief of staff, the French diplomat Sébastien Braha. Subsequently, the OPCW’s statutes were amended on a proposal from France to enable the Western members to block any discussion.

After falsifying the facts about the alleged chemical attack on Douma, thereby providing the justification for the Allied bombing of Syria on 14 April 2018, the OPCW is engaged in “investigating” the Skripal and Navalny cases.