H.E. Mr Thomas Schieb, Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany to the OPCW and Ambassador Fernando Arias, OPCW Director General
THE HAGUE, Netherlands—13 December 2022— The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has contributed €400,000 to the Trust Fund for Syria Missions at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The contribution will be used towards the full elimination of the Syrian Chemical Weapons Programme and clarification of facts related to the alleged use of chemical weapons, in accordance with the relevant decisions of the policy-making organs of the OPCW.
The voluntary contribution was formalised on 13 December 2022 in a signing ceremony held between the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the OPCW, H.E. Mr Thomas Schieb, and the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Fernando Arias, at the OPCW’s Headquarters in The Hague.
“Germany applauds the professionalism and impartiality of the OPCW in investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria. In order to allow for the important work of the Syria missions to continue, Germany makes – yet again – a voluntary contribution to the relevant Trust Fund, this time amounting to EUR 400,000,” said Ambassador Schieb.
Director-General Arias stated: “I express sincere appreciation to the Federal Republic of Germany for its financial and political support to the OPCW’s mission to permanently eradicate chemical weapons. This contribution will support the OPCW to continue its work on the Syrian chemical weapons dossier and to uphold the norms and principles of the Chemical Weapons Convention.”
H.E. Mr Thomas Schieb, Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany to the OPCW and Ambassador Fernando Arias, OPCW Director General
Background
The Federal Republic of Germany is currently represented in the OPCW Executive Council, the Advisory Body on Administrative and Financial Matters, the Confidentiality Commission, the Scientific Advisory Board, and the Advisory Board on Education and Outreach.
To date, Germany has contributed more than €12.5 million to eight OPCW trust funds, including the Trust Fund for the Centre for Chemistry and Technology (ChemTech Centre) and the Trust Fund for Syria Missions.
The Declaration Assessment Team was established in 2014 to engage the relevant Syrian authorities to resolve the identified gaps, inconsistencies, and discrepancies in the Syrian declaration. The OPCW Fact-Finding Mission was set up in the same year in response to persistent allegations of chemical weapon attacks in Syria, with the task to establish facts surrounding allegations of the use of toxic chemicals for hostile purposes. The Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) began its work in 2019 and is responsible for identifying the perpetrators of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic.
As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Convention’s entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.
Over 99% of all declared chemical weapon stockpiles have been destroyed under OPCW verification. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.