Supporting OPCW’s disarmament efforts in Syria is a top priority for German foreign policy.
By Ambassador Dr Christoph Israng, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the OPCW.
Although almost all countries in the world have acceded to the treaty banning chemical weapons, they still pose a threat: the international community is facing a great challenge in Syria.
The country joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in 2013 and had to dismantle its chemical weapons programme. This was a great success for the international community. However, it is disappointing that even now, more than two years after Syria’s accession to the CWC, doubts remain over whether the Syrian authorities have declared all elements of their chemical weapons programme. Sadly, there is even worse: the truth is that toxic chemicals such as chlorine are being used in Syria, regularly killing and severely harming mostly civilians including children.
Disarmament and non-proliferation have always been a top foreign policy priority for the Federal Republic of Germany. Therefore, Germany actively works for the full and global implementation of the CWC as well as its universalisation. That is why Germany is actively contributing to ending the threat posed by Syrian chemical weapons, including the destruction of the declared Syrian chemical weapons outside of Syria.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier commented on this, saying: “No-one who takes their international responsibility seriously can refuse to live up to this obligation [supporting the destruction of the Syrian chemical weapons]. That also applies to our country, as we have fully developed technical facilities for destroying chemical substances. It is especially important that agreements are honoured, for we are facing the next stage in difficult negotiations and it is essential that the reliability of the international community’s pledges be beyond doubt.”
Germany, as well as our international partners, have actively supported and continue to support the efforts of the OPCW to implement the CWC in Syria, through both ad hoc support (e.g. by providing air transport for OPCW inspectors) and more complex missions.
Most of all, however, Germany contributed five million euros to the OPCW Trust Fund for the Destruction of Syrian Chemical Weapons. Moreover, we support the use of EU funds for this task. The German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) provided assistance by conducting a maritime escort operation for the US vessel Cape Ray while it was executing the at sea destruction of Syrian chemical weapons. Naturally, this took place in accordance with international agreements and UN mandates.
In this maritime escort operation, German soldiers ensured that the transport and destruction of Syrian chemical warfare agents were finalised successfully and safely. The method of ‘hydrolysis’ was used, meaning that the destruction of these chemical weapons took place in a closed system and thus no substances were released into the air or sea.
About 400 tons of liquid and solid residues of mustard gas, created by this method, were transported to Germany for their complete disposal at the publicly-owned disposal company GEKA in Munster, northern Germany. These substances, known as hydrolysate, were burned in compliance with environmental regulations by April 2015. Hydrolysate and other remaining chemical agents were transported to Finland, the United States and the United Kingdom for their final destruction.
On the occasion of the finalisation of the destruction operations in Germany and Finland, OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü stated: “This is yet another milestone on the path to eliminating chemical weapons stocks from Syria – one that was achieved in a safe and efficient way, thanks to the valuable support provided by the German Government and Finnish industry.”
Additionally, the German Armed Forces have run several safety training courses for OPCW inspectors. Germany has also financed two projects to improve the protection and treatment of civilian chemical weapons victims in Syria: on behalf of the German Government, GIZ (German corporation for international cooperation) provided the supply of medical equipment with a total value of more than two million euros to Syrian civil society.
A third project is currently under way. The delivered equipment does not only provide urgent medical support to local hospitals and doctors in the region between Aleppo and Hama, it is also perfectly suited to the difficult situation in the area: the equipment is portable and can be relocated quickly and easily to other hospitals if necessary. Furthermore, medical staff of the German Armed Forces have contributed to an OPCW handbook on the treatment of victims of chemical weapons.
Continuing reports of the ongoing use of chemical weapons in Syria are a challenge for the entire OPCW family. Germany stands ready to continue to actively support the OPCW’s work as well as to help make the OPCW’s main objective a reality: a world free of chemical weapons.
