international official

Sigrid Kaag

سيغريد كاغ

Journeys

Sigrid Kaag and the Chemical Weapons Mission: A Partial Success in a Total Failure

Kaag led the international mission that removed Syria's declared chemical weapons — one of the only successful multilateral achievements of the Syrian crisis. The mission was completed on time and under extraordinary conditions. But Syria had hidden chemical stockpiles, and kept using chemical weapons after the 'elimination' was declared complete.

Biography

Sigrid Kaag is a Dutch diplomat who served as head of the OPCW-UN Joint Mission to Syria in 2013–2014, overseeing the internationally-mandated destruction of Syria's declared chemical weapons stockpile following the Ghouta chemical attack of August 21, 2013. The mission successfully removed and destroyed Syria's declared 1,300-tonne chemical weapons program — a significant logistical and diplomatic achievement — though subsequent OPCW investigations found that Syria had concealed additional chemical weapons and continued to use chlorine and sarin in attacks after the declared stockpile was removed. She later became a minister and deputy prime minister in the Netherlands. Her work on the Syria chemical weapons mission represents one of the few internationally cooperative achievements in the Syrian crisis.

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Journeys1

Key Facts

Born:1961-09-03

Place:Zoetermeer, Netherlands

Nationality:Dutch