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S/2017/567 17-11206 5/80 2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK 2.1 The FFM was set up “to establish facts surrounding allegations of the use of toxic chemicals, reportedly chlorine, for hostile purposes in the Syrian Arab Republic” on the basis of the Director-General’s authority under the Chemical Weapons Convention (hereinafter “Convention”) to seek to uphold at all times the object and purpose of the Convention, as reinforced by the relevant decisions of the OPCW Executive Council and the United Nations Security Council resolution 2118 (2013). 2.2 The Terms of Reference of the FFM were mutually agreed upon by the OPCW and the Syrian Arab Republic through the exchange of letters between the OPCW Director-General and the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, dated 1 and 10 May 2014, respectively (Annex to the Note by the Technical Secretariat S/1255/2015, dated 10 March 2015). 2.3 The continuation of the FFM was subsequently endorsed by the Executive Council (hereinafter “Council”) in decision EC-M-48/DEC.1, dated 4 February 2015, as recalled by United Nations Security Council resolution 2209 (2015), and subsequently decision EC-M-50/DEC.1, dated 23 November 2015. Both of these Council decisions and resolution 2209 (2015) require the FFM to study all available information relating to allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, including that provided by the Syrian Arab Republic as well as by others. 2.4 The OPCW FFM is also referred to in the United Nations Security Council resolution 2235 (2015) establishing the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (hereinafter “JIM”) and the United Nations Security Council resolution 2319 (2016) extending the mandate of the JIM by one more year. 2.5 The scope of the Fact-Finding Mission’s mandate does not include the task of attributing responsibility for the alleged use1. 1 Fifth preambular paragraph of EC-M-48/DEC.1; sixth preambular paragraph of EC-M-50/DEC.1; eighth preambular paragraph of the United Nations Security Council resolution 2235 (2015)