THE HAGUE, Netherlands — 25 April 2019 — The Government of Bangladesh has contributed $15,000 to a special Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Trust Fund to support the project to upgrade the current OPCW Laboratory and Equipment Store. This project will result in the construction of a new facility, the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology (“ChemTech Centre”).
The contribution was formalised by the exchange of letters between OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal.
Ambassador Belal remarked: “Bangladesh is happy to be a part of this future-oriented project. We would urge all to come forward to make this Laboratory a bastion of ‘never again’ in memory of all the victims of chemical weapons across the world.”
Director-General Arias expressed his gratitude to the Government of Bangladesh for its support and appealed to all OPCW States Parties in a position to make voluntary contributions to do so, emphasising that the new ChemTech Centre will be a resource for all States Parties and that “All contributions, regardless of size, are greatly appreciated”.
So far, 15 States Parties and the European Union have contributed or pledged to contribute financially to the project and a considerable amount has already been raised to date.
