Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Visits OPCW

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — 7 March 2019 — The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, H.E. Ms Margot Wallström, met today at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague.

The Director-General and the Foreign Minister discussed progress in the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), with a focus on OPCW activities in Syria and the effort to investigate and identify perpetrators of chemical weapon attacks.

Director-General Arias also briefed the Foreign Minister on the project to upgrade the OPCW Laboratory into a Centre for Chemistry and Technology, and the initiatives to change the Annex on Chemicals to the CWC.

The Director-General thanked the Swedish Government for its enduring support for the OPCW and remarked that “Sweden has made significant contributions to disarmament around the world. We look forward to our continued cooperation to ensure that chemical weapons become a thing of the past”.

The Foreign Minister expressed: “Sweden has full confidence in the OPWC and will continue to support its important mission, politically, technically and financially. I look forward to continued fruitful discussions with Director-General Arias”.

Background

The Kingdom of Sweden joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997 and has been an active member of the OPCW ever since.

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.

Over 96% of all chemical weapon stockpiles declared by possessor States have been destroyed under OPCW verification. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.