The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias, and the Mayor of the Municipality of The Hague, Mr Jan van Zanen, announced the decision of the OPCW-The Hague Award selection panel to honour three recipients of the 2025 OPCW-The Hage Award:
Major General (Ret.) Ichiro Akiyama
Dr Ichiro Akiyama of Japan has made a significant and enduring contribution to the mission of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) throughout his career. With a PhD in Chemistry, he participated in the CWC negotiation process at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva from 1982 to 1992 and contributed his expertise to its final outcome. In 1995, Dr Akiyama played a crucial leadership role in response to the Tokyo subway sarin attack, the first large scale chemical terrorism incident. Dr Akiyama served as the first OPCW Director of the Inspectorate Division from 1997 to 2002, and again from 2004 to 2009, during which he was instrumental in operationalising the CWC's verification regime, establishing its technical operational framework, and standardising procedures for inspections.
Ambassador Kenneth Ward
Ambassador Kenneth Ward of the United States of America has been devoted to advancing chemical weapons disarmament and non-proliferation in a range of important and senior roles over 30 years. As the Permanent Representative of the United States to the OPCW from 2016 to 2020, he played a leading role in decision-making processes related to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria and advocated for accountability in situations of chemical weapons use. Ambassador Ward was also instrumental in mobilising resources to strengthen the OPCW's investigative and capacity building efforts.
Rear Admiral (Ret.) Torben Mikkelsen
Rear Admiral (Ret.) Toben Mikkelsen of Denmark played an important role in the multinational maritime task force that removed chemical agents from Syria in 2013 and 2014, and from Libya in 2016, under the auspices of the United Nations-OPCW Joint Mission. These complex removal operations stand as remarkable examples of multilateral cooperation for international peace and security. The outstanding operational leadership by Rear Admiral Mikkelsen was crucial to their success. Under his command, nearly 1,000 tons of chemical agents in 181 containers were retrieved and transported out of Syria, and 23 containers of chemical agents were securely transported out of Libya for destruction.
The OPCW-The Hague Award ceremony will take place on Monday, 24 November 2025 from 12:15 to 12:50 CET, during the Thirtieth Session of the Conference of the State Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CSP-30). Both the Conference and the Award ceremony will be livestreamed on the OPCW website .
Director-General Arias said, "The OPCW-The Hague Award continues to extend the legacy of OPCW's Nobel Peace Prize, reinforcing the importance of collaboration among diverse stakeholders in the pursuit of a world free of chemical weapons."
"This year's recipients demonstrate the historic efforts that led to the Chemical Weapons Convention and that have sustained it through complex and challenging endeavours. From negotiating key aspects of the treaty's foundational text through implementing its provisions with concrete, on-the-ground actions, Dr Akiyama, Ambassador Ward, and Rear Admiral Mikkelsen have made significant contributions toward achieving a world free of chemical weapons," noted Director-General Arias.
"The winners of this year's OPCW-The Hague Award reflect the remarkable global efforts needed to work towards a world free of chemical weapons. Their dedication and innovative approach are inspiring examples of how we can work together for a safer and more peaceful world. Together, we must continue to push forward, fostering collaboration and innovation to build a future rooted in global peace and security," said Mayor van Zanen.
Background
In 2013, the OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons. To preserve the legacy of this achievement, the OPCW established the OPCW-The Hague Award in collaboration with the Municipality of The Hague in 2014. The Award recognises individuals and organisations that play a significant role in advancing the goals of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The total €90,000 cash prize is awarded to up to three recipients annually.
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.
In 2023, the OPCW verified that all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the 193 States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997 - totalling 72,304 metric tonnes of chemical agents - have been irreversibly destroyed under the OPCW's strict verification regime.
For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.
