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Sweden has contributed approximately 2 million Swedish Kronor (equivalent to 200,000 USD) to the trust fund of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for fact-finding missions in Syria.
Sweden’s contribution is intended to support the complete elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons program, as well as to verify the facts regarding the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention and relevant decisions of the OPCW’s political bodies and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Sweden’s contribution became official after an agreement was signed on June 20, 2024, between OPCW Director-General Ambassador Fernando Arias and Sweden’s Permanent Representative to the OPCW, Johannes Oljelund, at the organization’s headquarters in The Hague.
Ambassador Oljelund stated that Sweden’s contribution supports the OPCW in uncovering the truth. He described the OPCW’s trust fund for Syria as a crucial tool for fact-finding and the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria, calling for accountability for Syrian victims.
Director-General Arias expressed his deep appreciation for Sweden’s financial and political support for the OPCW’s mission to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. He confirmed that Sweden’s contribution will help the OPCW continue its critical work in Syria.
The Chemical Weapons Convention, which has been in effect since 1997, counts Sweden as an active member since then. Sweden has supported various OPCW projects and activities, including missions in the Syrian Arab Republic and the OPCW’s Centre for Chemistry and Technology, with voluntary contributions totaling more than 1.8 million euros.
On April 24, 2024, the OPCW expressed doubts about the Syrian regime’s declaration of having eliminated its chemical weapons program, citing concerns about continued chemical weapons development activities in Syria. This was despite the OPCW’s 2023 announcement that it had verified the irreversible destruction of all declared chemical weapons stockpiles by member states under its strict verification regime.
The Chemical Violations Documentation Center of Syria (CVDCS) emphasizes the need for the full implementation and adherence to the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which mandates the elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction by prohibiting the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, transfer, or use of chemical weapons by member states.
The CVDCS also stresses the importance of holding all parties involved in the use of chemical weapons for hostile purposes accountable and achieving justice for the victims and their families.
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