H.E. Ms Astrid Harz, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Austria to the OPCW, and Ambassador Fernando Arias, Director-General of the OPCW
THE HAGUE, Netherlands—18 December 2023— The Government of the Republic of Austria contributed €20,000 to the Trust Fund for the International Support Network for Victims of Chemical Weapons of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The amount of €15,000 will support the implementation of a hospital preparedness training course for African countries in 2024, with the remainder of the contribution being earmarked for developing and updating guidelines for medical diagnosis and treatment of people who have been exposed to a chemical emergency.
The voluntary contribution was formalised on 5 December 2023 in a signing ceremony held between the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Austria to the OPCW, H.E. Ms Astrid Harz, and the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Fernando Arias, at the Organisation’s Headquarters in The Hague.
“This contribution underlines Austria’s commitment to disarmament, victims’ assistance, and the OPCW. I would like to commend the OPCW for its professionalism and crucial work in achieving a world free of chemical weapons,” said Ambassador Harz.
The Director-General stated: “I express my sincere appreciation to the Government of Austria for its support to these important projects. The OPCW’s work in strengthening medical emergency response is vital to minimising any short- and long-term health consequences resulting from exposure to toxic chemicals and chemical warfare agents.”
Background
Austria has been an active member of the OPCW since the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) entered into force in 1997.
In 2011, the Conference of the States Parties established the International Support Network for Victims of Chemical Weapons and a voluntary trust fund for this purpose. The OPCW works closely with victims’ associations to bring visibility and awareness of the history of chemical warfare and provide resources and information for the treatment of survivors.
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.
On 7 July 2023, the OPCW verified that all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the 193 States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997 — totalling 72,304 metric tonnes of chemical agents — have been irreversibly destroyed under the OPCW’s strict verification regime.
For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.