H.E. Mr Ilkka-Pekka Similä, Permanent Representation of the Republic of Finland to the OPCW and Ambassador Fernando Arias, OPCW Director General
THE HAGUE, Netherlands—18 July 2023—The Government of the Republic of Finland contributed €50,000 to the Trust Fund for the Implementation of Article X of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The voluntary contribution will be used to support ongoing assistance and protection programmes earmarked for activities related to Ukraine. The contribution was formalised at a signing ceremony held on 18 July 2023 between the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Finland to the OPCW, H.E. Mr Ilkka-Pekka Similä, and the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Fernando Arias, at the Organisation’s Headquarters in The Hague.
“Finland’s contribution to the OPCW Trust Fund for the Implementation of Article X continues our long-term political commitment and financial support to the OPCW and to the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention,” said Ambassador Similä. “It is also an additional aspect of Finland’s unwavering support to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified full-scale aggression. Our contribution will be used to enhance Ukraine’s preparedness and response capabilities against the threat of chemical weapons use through the provision of technical assistance and expert advice to Ukraine by the OPCW Technical Secretariat.”
The Director-General stated: “I express my sincere appreciation to Finland for its financial and political support to the OPCW’s mission to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. This contribution will support the OPCW to continue its work to uphold the norms and principles of the Chemical Weapons Convention.”
Background
Finland has been an active member of the OPCW since the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force in 1997. Finland is a member of the Executive Council, the OPCW’s executive organ, which is responsible for promoting the effective implementation of and compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention as well as supervising the activities of the Organisation’s Technical Secretariat.
Under Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention, Member States “have the right to participate in, the fullest possible exchange of equipment, material and scientific and technological information concerning means of protection against chemical weapons.”
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.
All declared chemical weapons stockpiles were destroyed under OPCW verification. The United States was the last possessor State and completed the destruction of its declared chemical weapons stockpile on 7 July 2023. The OPCW observed the destruction of the chemical weapons stockpiles declared by all State Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention and confirmed on 7 July 2023 that all declared chemical weapons stockpiles were verified as irreversibly destroyed.
For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.