H.E. Ms. Maria Teresa de Jesus Infante Caffi, Ambassador of Chile, Permanent Representative to the OPCW and H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, Director General OPCW.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands —04 December 2019 — The Government of Chile has contributed €13,000 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 during a ceremony at the OPCW Headquarters between OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, and the Permanent Representative of Chile to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Maria Teresa Infante.
The Director-General expressed: “I thank the Government of Chile for this contribution to the new OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology that will further build the capabilities of our Member States to achieve a world free of chemical weapons.”
Ambassador Infante remarked: “Chile is a longstanding supporter of the OPCW and its work to achieve a world free of chemical weapons. The new Centre for Chemistry and Technology will be of paramount importance to foster international cooperation and to strengthen the OPCW’s verification regime capacity. For Chile it is an honour to make a contribution to the new Centre as a sign of its unwavering support to the OPCW. I wish all the best to the Organisation in this important project.”
Director-General Arias appealed to all OPCW States Parties in a position to make voluntary contributions to do so. He further emphasised the important role the new ChemTech Centre will play in strengthening the OPCW’s ability to address chemical weapon threats, boost its investigative capability, and enhance capacity building activities. He highlighted that “all contributions, regardless of size, are greatly appreciated”.
So far, twenty-five States Parties and the European Union have contributed or pledged to contribute financially to the project, and a considerable amount has been raised to date.
