On the picture the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, and the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the OPCW and the Chairperson of the Executive Council, H. E. Ms. Ambassador Jana Reinišová.
OPCW and Municipality of Pijnacker-Nootdorp Sign Land Agreement for Future OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology
THE HAGUE, Netherlands —14 December 2018 —The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, and the Mayor of Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Honorable Ms. Francisca Ravestein, signed an agreement today to provide land for the construction of a new OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology. The signing ceremony took place at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague.
The Director-General expressed: “This is an essential contribution and crucial step for the construction of the Centre for Chemistry and Technology, which will be a recognised leader in research, analysis, training and capacity building in the global effort to rid the world of chemical weapons.”
The Mayor of Pijnacker-Nootdorp remarked: “Signing this agreement today means a lot to our municipality. We are proud that such an important international organisation as the OPCW has chosen business park Heron in Nootdorp to build their new laboratory. We are looking forward to working together on this project.”
On 21 November, during the Fourth Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Stef Blok, pledged “€2.3 million to the OPCW for the purchase of land” for the new Centre.
The Director-General thanked the Netherlands for its contribution and concluded with an appeal to all OPCW Member States in a position to make voluntary contributions to do so. He reiterated: “We are seeking the broad support for the project to upgrade the Laboratory and Equipment Store into a Centre for Chemistry and Technology, as it will be for the benefit of all States Parties. All contributions, regardless of size, are greatly appreciated”.
The ceremony was attended by a number of officials including: the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the OPCW and the Chairperson of the Executive Council, H. E. Ambassador Jana Reinišová; the Permanent Representative of Canada to the OPCW and co-coordinator of the Friends of the Laboratory Group, H.E. Ambassador Sabine Nölke; the Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the OPCW, co-coordinator of the Friends of the Laboratory Group, and Vice-Chair of the Conference of the States Parties, H.E. Ambassador I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja; the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Paul van den Ijssel; and the Alderman of Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Ms Ilona Jense.
