OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü (right) and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Stéphane Dion
The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, met today with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, the Honourable Stéphane Dion, at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague.
The Director-General updated the Minister of Foreign Affairs on his recent high-level consultations with the Syrian Arab Republic. Ambassador Üzümcü then briefed him on the OPCW’s work with its member states to address the threat of use of chemical weapons by non-state actors as well as on the future priorities of the Organisation.
Ambassador Üzümcü conveyed his deep gratitude to Canada for its generous contributions in recent years towards the OPCW’s work in Syria and Libya, totalling almost €17 million. This amount includes €2.5 million for the OPCW’s Trust Fund for Syria Missions and €1.8 million for the OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism’s efforts to determine accountability for chemical weapons use in Syria. Both contributions were announced in February 2016.
“Canada’s steadfast support for the OPCW’s mission has made the world a much safer and secure place. Today, we have reaffirmed our resolve to jointly meet future challenges, as only concerted action can bring effective solutions,” said the Director-General.
Minister Dion remarked, “The OPCW is an integral part of the global disarmament architecture. Recent chemical weapons use in Syria and Iraq demonstrates that the Organisation’s mission is as vital and pressing as ever. Canada is proud to support the OPCW’s untiring efforts to rid the world of this inhumane class of weaponry.”
For more details:
- Canada’s contribution to support OPCW work in Syria
- UN Security Council Resolution 2235 Establishing JointInvestigative Mechanism