The Government of Finland has made a voluntary contribution of €50,000 to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to support its activities related to Ukraine .
The funding will be used to facilitate the provision of equipment, training, expertise, logistical support and further technical assistance to enhance Ukraine's resilience against chemical weapons threats.
The voluntary contribution was formalised on 17 November 2025 in a signing ceremony held between the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Finland to the OPCW, H.E. Mr Ilkka-Pekka Similä, and OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Fernando Arias at the OPCW's Headquarters in The Hague.
Director-General Arias briefed Ambassador Similä on OPCW's ongoing work in Ukraine, including the findings of the report on the OPCW's third Technical Assistance Visit to Ukraine following an incident of alleged use of toxic chemicals as a weapon in the Dnipropetrovsk region in February 2025. The report confirmed the presence of the toxic chemical 2- Chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile, known as CS, in seven samples collected by Ukraine in relation to the incident. CS is a riot control agent and its use as a method of warfare is prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
"Finland is honored to make a voluntary contribution to the OPCW Trust Fund for the implementation of Article X in 2025, reaffirming our strong commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention and our clear position that chemical weapons must never be used under any circumstances," said Ambassador Similä.
"This contribution demonstrates our confidence in the OPCW's impartial work and strengthens Ukraine's capacity to prepare for and respond to potential chemical threats. Through these efforts, Finland stands in solidarity with Ukraine and helps advance the global effort to ensure accountability and uphold international security," he highlighted.
Director-General Arias stated: "I wish to express my gratitude to Finland for its generous voluntary contribution to support our ongoing work in Ukraine. Such contributions are vital - they enable the OPCW to ensure that States Parties remain fully prepared to detect, respond to and mitigate chemical threats. It is only through collective efforts that we can uphold the principles of the Convention and protect communities from the dangers of chemical weapons."
Background
Finland has been an active member of the OPCW since the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force in 1997.
To date, Finland has contributed a total of EUR 1,737,834 to several OPCW trust funds, including the Trust Fund for a Centre for Chemistry and Technology, the Trust Fund for Syria Missions, the Trust Fund for the Implementation of Article X earmarked for Ukraine.
Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) provides for assistance and protection to a State Party if it is attacked or threatened by chemical weapons. Through the relevant Trust Fund, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has provided support to Ukraine, upon its request, to strengthen its preparedness and response capabilities against chemical weapons threats. These efforts included deployment of the Technical Assistance Visits, provision of protective, detection, and identification equipment and training Ukrainian first responders and experts.
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.
