Dear Mr Chairperson,
Distinguished Members of the ABAF,
I would like to extend to all of you a very warm welcome to the Fifty-Ninth Session of the ABAF.
I also wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr Richard Martin-Nielsen on his recent appointment as a new member of the ABAF, and to wish him all the best in his role.
Distinguished Members,
You have several important topics before you this week, principally the Draft Biennium Programme and Budget for 2026-2027.
In addition, the ABAF will consider the long-form report of the External Auditor and matters that should inform the development of the strategy of the Office of Internal Oversight.
As you are aware, the Director-General published an Advance Copy of the draft 2026-2027 Biennium Programme and Budget proposal on 8 July 2025.
The Budget for the Secretariat’s regular activities seeks to maintain minimal inflation-related growth.
It also includes a proposal to accommodate an increase in Article VI industry inspections, from 200 back up again to the pre-COVID level of 241.
In addition to funding the regular activities of the Secretariat, the draft Budget reflects the extraordinary costs of fulfilling the mandates of the OPCW in the Syrian Arab Republic, in response to the important opportunities presented by the cooperation of the new Syrian government.
The Secretariat’s increased activities in Syria, which have been ongoing since early this year, rely on a combination of regular budget and extrabudgetary resources.
These activities are expected to require substantial additional resources throughout the next biennium.
The financing for the Biennium Budget includes proposals for the use of the 2023 balance of late payments, miscellaneous income and released commitments, the so-called “LMR”.
This is technically referred to as a “cash surplus” in the OPCW’s Financial Rules and Regulations.
It is proposed to repurpose the 2023 LMR primarily to reduce the impact of the budgetary increases on Assessed Contributions in 2026 and 2027.
In addition, it is proposed to replenish the special fund for essential physical security upgrades in order to finance the remaining primary security upgrade requirements at the Headquarters Main Building – namely, a new fence and guardhouse.
As the Director-General underlined in his overview of the draft Budget, I quote:
“Considering the substantial fiscal constraints that States Parties and international organisations are facing globally, the Secretariat has formulated this budget proposal geared to the minimum resources required to fulfil the Organisation’s mandates and to ensure the OPCW remains fit and adaptable for the future in a rapidly evolving and degraded international security environment.”
End quote.
With regard to the External Audit, the Secretariat received the long-form report of the External Auditors on 21 July and sent it to ABAF members on the same day.
The conclusions of the Auditors on the financial audit were presented at the previous ABAF Session in June.
The long-form report is consistent with the presentation made at the previous ABAF Session, while also covering the other areas that were the subject of the audit.
A significant number of ongoing External Audit recommendations from previous years have been closed. The Secretariat is grateful to the External Auditors for focussing in particular on resolving recommendations made by their predecessors.
Distinguished Members of the ABAF,
We look forward to receiving the benefit of your reflections and advice on these and other topics that are of great importance for the Organisation.
I wish to express my appreciation for the significant contributions you make to the work of the OPCW, and I thank you for your ongoing commitment.
Finally, I would like to thank Mr Christopher Buck, Director of Administration, Mr Adam Boys, Head of Budget and Finance, and the entire Budget and Finance Team for their efforts in organising this meeting. They stand ready to support you.
I wish you a fruitful Fifty-Ninth Session of the ABAF.
Thank you for your kind attention.