In the picture the Permanent Representative of Andorra to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Esther Rabas and the OPCW Director General, H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias.
The Hague, Netherlands – 20 January 2020 – The Government of Andorra has contributed €5,000 to a special Organization 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 Andorra to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Esther Rabasa.
The Director-General expressed: “I thank the Government of Andorra 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 Rabasa remarked: “Andorra’s voluntary contributions express both its continuous support to the victims of chemical weapons and its will to be part of the efforts aiming at increasing the training and capacity-building capabilities the Secretariat can offer to States Parties through the establishment of the new ChemTech Centre.”
She added that “Andorra is well aware that as a country with a small territorial dimension, it owes its survival to the existence of, and compliance with, the rules of the international legal system and is strongly committed to multilateralism to address the threat from chemical weapons use”. She concluded by expressing Andorra’s full support for the efficiency and quality of the work undertaken by the Director-General and the Technical Secretariat.
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, thirty-one 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. In the coming days, several other States Parties are expected to contribute.
