UN reaches deal on Syria weapons

The five permanent members of the deeply-divided United Nations Security Council have agreed on a resolution to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons.

The draft resolution’s demands that Syria abandon its chemical stockpile and allow unfettered access to chemical weapons experts are legally binding. But if Syria fails to comply, the council will need to adopt a second resolution to impose measures under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which allows for military and non-military actions to promote peace and security.