Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr Jan Lipavský and Ambassador Fernando Arias, Director-General of the OPCW
THE HAGUE, Netherlands—6 December 2022— The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr Jan Lipavský, on 5 December 2022, at the OPCW’s Headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands.
The Director-General updated the Minister on the progress and achievements made by the OPCW in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The two high-ranking officials exchanged their views on the challenges surrounding the OPCW. The Director-General briefed the Minister on on-going preparation for the Fifth Review Conference, which will be held in May 2023.
The Director-General also briefed the Minster on the progress of the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology (ChemTech Centre), which will become operational next year. The ChemTech Centre will enhance the Organisation’s capabilities to keep pace with scientific and technological developments and provide training facilities for experts working in relation with the CWC.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that: “I strongly condemn the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict, both by the Syrian Armed Forces and by non-State Actors. I am also deeply concerned at the nerve agent attack against the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and, before that, against Sergei Skripal and his daughter. The Russian disinformation campaign against OPCW is clearly related to those cases. Let me reassure you of the full confidence in the independence and professionalism of the OPCW work and its integrity.”
The Director-General remarked: “I am very grateful for the steadfast support of the Czech Republic to the OPCW and its commitment to strengthening the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. As an active Member State of the OPCW, we will work together to ensure the norm against chemical weapons continues to stand strong.”
Background
The Czech Republic has been an active member of the OPCW since 1997 and is a member of the Executive Council until May 2023. The Executive Council is the OPCW’s governing body, which supervises the activities of the Technical Secretariat and is responsible for promoting the effective implementation of, and compliance with, the Convention.
In 2019, the Czech Republic made a voluntary contribution of CZK 500,000 (€20,000) to the Trust Fund for a Centre for Chemistry and Technology. The project to build the ChemTech Centre seeks to strengthen the OPCW’s capabilities to fully address new and emerging chemical weapons threats, as well as to support capacity building in OPCW Member States. The construction of the ChemTech Centre started in June 2021 and is planned to be finished by the end of 2022.
The Fifth Review Conference of the States Parties will be held from 15 to 19 May 2023. Review Conferences occurs once every five years. It is an opportunity for all States Parties to review the operations of the Chemical Weapons Convention and set a strategic direction for the OPCW for the next five years and beyond. States Parties are anticipated to offer recommendations for enhancing the OPCW’s work in the areas of verification, assistance and protection, international cooperation, capacity development, and outreach.
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 99% of all declared chemical weapon stockpiles have been destroyed under OPCW verification. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.