The Government of Finland made voluntary contributions totalling EUR 150,000 to support activities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The contributions were formalised on 10 September 2024 in a signing ceremony held between the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Finland to the OPCW, H.E. Mr Ilkka-Pekka Similä, and the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Fernando Arias, at the OPCW's Headquarters in The Hague.
The amount of EUR 100,000 will be allocated to the Trust Fund for Syria Missions, and EUR 50,000 is earmarked for to the Trust Fund for the Implementation of Article X. The latter will be used to support ongoing assistance and protection programmes earmarked for activities related to Ukraine.
"Finland is proud to make voluntary contributions to the OPCW Trust Funds for Syria and the implementation of Article X, reaffirming our strong commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention and our condemnation of chemical weapons use under any circumstances," said Ambassador Similä.
"These contributions underscore our confidence in the OPCW's professional and impartial work, from critical investigations in Syria to enhancing Ukraine's preparedness and response capabilities against potential chemical weapons threats. Through these efforts, Finland stands in solidarity with Ukraine and supports justice for victims, reinforcing the global fight against impunity," he added.
The Director-General stated: "I express my sincere appreciation to Finland for its continuing support to the OPCW's activities and missions. These contributions will enhance OPCW's 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.
To date, Finland has contributed a total of EUR 1,587,834 to eight different OPCW trust funds, including the Trust Fund for a Centre for Chemistry and Technology, the Trust Fund for Syria Missions, and the Trust Fund for the Implementation of Article X.
The Declaration Assessment Team was established in 2014 to engage the relevant Syrian authorities to resolve the identified gaps, inconsistencies, and discrepancies in the Syrian declaration. The Fact-Finding Mission was set up in the same year in response to persistent allegations of chemical weapon attacks in Syria, with the task to establish facts surrounding allegations of the use of toxic chemicals for hostile purposes. The Investigation and Identification Team began its work in 2019 and is responsible for identifying the perpetrators of the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
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.
In 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.
