The Hague, 20 March 2002

Lithuania has paid in full its annual assessed contribution to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

58 Member States of the Organisation have now paid their contributions in full. However, the total sum of the fully-paid contribution equals only 30.4% of the total assessed contributions, which were due to the Organisation at the beginning of 2002. An additional 18 States Parties have made partial payments of their 2002 assessment, totalling 17% of the total assessed contribution for 2002. In accordance with the Organisation's financial regulations, Member States are obliged to pay their full contributions to the OPCW's budget by 1 January of each year.

Annual contributions to the OPCW by each Member State are calculated on the basis of the United Nations scale of assessment, which is adjusted to match the composition of the OPCW's membership.

The timely payment by Member States of their annual contributions is essential for the effective functioning of the OPCW, which is tasked with implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention.

OPCW Director-General, Mr José M. Bustani, expressed his appreciation to Lithuania and the other 57 Member States for having paid their assessed contributions for 2002 in full and urged the remaining 87 Member States to follow suit as soon as possible.

The OPCW now has 145 Member States. Since the Convention entered into force, the OPCW has carried out more than 1,100 inspections of civilian and military facilities in 50 States Parties.

The following 58 Member States of the OPCW have paid in full their assessed contributions to the Organisation's budget for the current financial year.