On 24 October 2013, the Syrian Arab Republic submitted to the OPCW its formal initial declaration covering its chemical weapons programme. Syria’s submission is in line with the deadline set by the OPCW Executive Council in its decision of 27 September 2013 requiring a complete initial declaration by 27 October 2014. Such declarations provide the basis on which plans are devised for a systematic, total and verified destruction of declared chemical weapons and production facilities.