We have learned with grave concern that a new chemical weapons attack was carried out in Syria on the evening of 7 April targeting Douma and that many civilians lost their lives as a result of the attack. We strongly condemn this attack which is largely suspected to have been carried out by the regime whose track record regarding the use of chemical weapons is well known to the international community.

This incident reveals that the UN Security Council Resolutions 2118, 2209 and 2235 on the use of chemical weapons in Syria have once again been utterly disregarded.

We expect the international community to react to this attack and the relevant international organizations, in particular the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, to immediately investigate this case.

We call upon all the parties who have influence on the Syrian regime to fulfill their responsibilities in order to immediately stop such brutal attacks, which constitute crimes against humanity, indiscriminately target civilians and reoccur due to the failure to take measures in reaction to past attacks, and to take the necessary steps to ensure that these attacks do not go unpunished.