On the picture, Ambassador Dr. Christoph Israng and OPCW Director General H. E. Ahmet Üzümcü.
By Ambassador Dr Christoph Israng, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the OPCW.
One hundred years ago in World War I, the German military command broke a taboo by ordering the first use of chemical weapons on a large scale near Ypres, Belgium. Unfortunately, other states followed this bad example not only in World War I, not only in Europe. In total, chemical weapons have killed far more than 100,000 soldiers and civilians in the past century, while more than 1 million people have been severely harmed by these terrible weapons.
After 1945, immense stockpiles of chemical weapons were built up. Many still remember the tragic use of chemical weapons in the Middle East in the 1980s that claimed thousands of victims. With the end of the Cold War, the window of opportunity was finally open to reach an international agreement on banning chemical weapons all over the world. The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) that entered into force in 1997 was the right answer. It is administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The parties’ main obligation under the convention is to prohibit the use and production of chemical weapons, as well as the destruction of all existing chemical weapons. Since the entering into force, 90 % of the declared 70,000 tonnes of chemical weapons have been destroyed – an incredibly large amount given that just one drop of Sarin would be enough to kill an adult. The CWC is indeed a success story. In fact, one could argue that the CWC is the most successful disarmament treaty in history as it has almost universal validity. 190 states have joined the convention so far. Moreover, it is backed by international verification.
For the Federal Republic of Germany, disarmament and non-proliferation have always been a top foreign policy priority. That is why Germany actively contributes to the CWC. This is not only shown by the existence of a separate Permanent Representation, which is one of the very few diplomatic missions in The Hague dealing exclusively with the OPCW. Here are just a few further examples of our contributions: Germany provided Russia with four industrial-size plants to destroy their chemical weapons in the last decade amounting to EUR 400 million. It is also contributing to several projects in the Near and Middle East. In addition, Germany engaged in the commemoration of Ypres by hosting a scientific conference and contributing to an exhibition at the OPCW. Furthermore, Germany has initiated the establishment of ethical guidelines for chemists, comparable with the Hippocratic Oath.
Although almost all countries in the world have subscribed to the ban of chemical weapons, their threat is still present. Clearly, the fact that Syria joined the CWC in 2013 and was subsequently obliged to dismantle its chemical weapons programme is a success. However, there have been ongoing reports that chemicals such as chlorine are still used as chemical weapons, killing and injuring mainly innocent civilians. Even though chlorine is a common industrial chemical, its use as a weapon is banned under the CWC and absolutely unacceptable. It is essential that the use of these chemicals is investigated and the culprits held accountable for their actions.
The Federal Republic of Germany contributed to the joint efforts of the OPCW family to end the threat posed by the Syrian chemical weapons programme by destroying more than 333 tonnes of residual products of mustard gas hydrolysate at GEKA in Munster, Germany. This operation was successfully completed in April 2015. Moreover, the German Armed Forces have run several safety training courses for OPCW inspectors. Germany has financed two projects to improve the protection and the treatment of civilian chemical weapons victims in Syria. Germany also contributed EUR 5 million to the OPCW Trust Fund to destroy the rest of Syria’s declared chemical weapons.
With our contributions to a world free of chemical weapons, we are endeavouring to face up to our historical responsibility. Even if this has been a long and stony road, we are optimistic that we will achieve our aim and ban the threat of chemical weapons in this world once and for all. Further challenges remain, such as non-state actors and incapacitating agents. Therefore, we strongly endorse the efforts of the OPCW’s Director General Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü to advance the discussion on the organisation’s future. Germany will play an active role in this discussion.
