The Kingdom of Norway has made a voluntary contribution of NOK 1 million (approximately €85,900) to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to support its ongoing work in the Syrian Arab Republic.
The contribution to the Trust Fund for Syria Missions will support OPCW's ongoing efforts to uncover the full extent and scope of Syria's chemical weapons programme and ensure its complete elimination amid the country's evolving political landscape. It will also aid in investigating allegations of chemical weapons use and identifying perpetrators, in line with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), relevant decisions of the OPCW's policy-making organs and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The voluntary contribution was formalised on 5 November 2025 in a signing ceremony held between the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Norway to the OPCW, H.E. Mr Erling Rimestad, and OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Fernando Arias, at the OPCW's Headquarters in The Hague.
Ambassador Rimestad stated: "Norway remains committed to supporting all efforts to uphold the Chemical Weapons Convention. As members, we must ensure the OPCW is properly equipped to adapt to changing circumstances. With this voluntary contribution, we are pleased to assist the OPCW's important work in the Syrian Arab Republic."
Director-General Arias remarked: "Norway's continued support enables the OPCW to maintain its critical verification and investigative activities in Syria, ensuring accountability and working towards a world free of chemical weapons. This commitment exemplifies the international solidarity necessary to uphold the global norm against chemical weapons."
Background
The Kingdom of Norway joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in 1997 and has actively contributed and supported OPCW programmes and projects.
To date, Norway has contributed over €4.3 Million to multiple trust funds, including the Trust Fund for Syria Missions, the Trust Fund for a Centre for Chemistry and Technology, the Trust Fund for the Implementation of Article X earmarked for Ukraine.
Syria acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013 under a stringent verification regime. While Syria submitted an initial declaration of its chemical weapons (CW) programme, the former Syrian government did not declare all its CW programme and attempted - unsuccessfully - to mislead the international community about the overall scope and scale of the Syrian chemical weapons programme. Furthermore, the Technical Secretariat documented and independently confirmed chemical weapons use in Syria both by the former Syrian military forces and by non-state actors, specifically ISIS/ISIL.
The fall of the Assad government in December 2024 created an opportunity to uncover the full scope of Syria's chemical weapons programme and to eliminate it in line with the CWC. In February 2025, the OPCW Director-General visited Syria and held separate meetings with the Syrian President and Foreign Minister. They expressed Syria's recognition of all OPCW mandates, including the identification of perpetrators of chemical weapons use in Syria and reaffirmed Syria's full commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the CWC. In March 2025, the Syrian Foreign Minister visited the OPCW and addressed the Executive Council, where he renewed Syria's commitment to the Convention.
Since the visit by the Director-General to Damascus in February 2025, the OPCW Technical Secretariat deployed several times to Syria, involving visits to suspected locations, sampling, interviews, collection of documents related to Syria's chemical weapons programme, and coordination.
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.
