The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias, met today with the U.S. Department of State Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, at the OPCW's headquarters in The Hague.
The two officials discussed challenges, opportunities, and the way forward in upholding the global norm against chemical weapons in the current international security climate. They highlighted the importance of cooperation for the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), including destroying existing chemical weapons and preventing their re-emergence.
"The OPCW commends the unprecedented efforts and progress of the United States to eliminate its chemical weapons stockpile. 2023 will mark an important milestone for the OPCW: achieving complete destruction of all declared chemical weapons worldwide," the Director-General said.
During the meeting, Under Secretary Jenkins and Director-General Arias recognised the recent allocation of funds previously provided to the OPCW by the United States to the OPCW Trust Fund for Syria Missions.
Under Secretary Jenkins applauded the work of the OPCW and the release of the third report of the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) on 27 January this year. The Under Secretary stated: "I am happy to announce the allocation of $200,000 to the Syria Missions Trust Fund from funding previously provided by the United States to the OPCW. These funds will help the Technical Secretariat continue its all-important work to verify the full elimination of Syria's chemical weapons program and to establish the facts surrounding alleged use of chemical weapons. This work plays a crucial role in maintaining the credibility of the Chemical Weapons Convention and strengthening the global norm against the use of chemical weapons."
The Director-General updated Under Secretary Jenkins on the progress of the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology
