Damascus, March 20 (RHC-Xinhua) -- More than 45 percent of chemical weapons in Syria have been removed for destruction outside the country, the Syria-based joint mission said in a statement on Wednesday.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Sept. 27, 2013, to rid war-torn Syria of its chemical weapons.

Under the resolution, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was mandated to oversee the elimination of Syria's chemical materials.

The UN-OPCW Joint Mission, which was formally established on October 16th, aims to timely remove Syria's chemical arsenals in the safest and most secure manner possible.

The Western powers have recently accused Damascus of not living up to its pledges to quickly remove the chemical weapons, but the Syrian government, while stressing commitment to its pledges to remove its chemical arsenal, accused the Western-backed rebels of hindering the transportation of chemical weapons, by attacking bases where the materials are stored.