The Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Jean-Marc Hoscheit and OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands —17 December 2019 — The Government of Luxembourg will make two contributions totalling €42,000 to support a number of major projects and activities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
A contribution of €25,000 will support the activities of the Trust Fund for Syria Missions at the OPCW. This Trust Fund supports the Organisation’s missions and contingency operations related to the Syrian Arab Republic including the work of the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT), the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), and the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT).
Another contribution of €17,000 will be made to the OPCW Trust Fund to support the project to upgrade the current OPCW Laboratory and Equipment Store through the construction of a new 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 Luxembourg to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Jean-Marc Hoscheit.
Ambassador Hoscheit remarked: “Luxembourg’s voluntary contributions, earmarked today, on the one hand, for supporting the OPCW’s missions related to Syria, in particular the Investigation and Identification Team, that will identify the perpetrators of chemical weapons use in Syria, and, on the other hand, for setting up the new Centre for Chemistry and Technology, express the full support of my country for the work of the Director-General and the OPCW staff and our confidence in the professionalism, objectivity and efficiency of this organisation.’’
He added that “These contributions also reflect Luxembourg’s deep conviction that any use of chemical weapons, anywhere, at any time, by anyone, whatever the circumstances are, is unacceptable and any person acting against these fundamental principles must be called to account for their actions’’.
The Director-General expressed: “I thank the Government of Luxembourg for these major contributions, to the new OPCW ChemTech Centre and to the Trust Fund for Syria Missions. Both will further build the capabilities of our Member States to achieve a world free of chemical weapons.”
So far, twenty-eight States Parties and the European Union have contributed or pledged to contribute financially to the ChemTech Centre project, and a considerable amount has been raised to date.
