The Government of Germany has contributed €2 million to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Trust Fund for Syria Missions, formalized on 15 December 2025 during a signing ceremony at the OPCW headquarters in The Hague. The agreement was signed by Germany’s Ambassador to the OPCW, H.E. Thomas Schieb, and OPCW Director-General Ambassador Fernando Arias. Germany’s contribution aims to support the verified destruction of remaining chemical weapons in Syria, reduce proliferation risks, and ensure the Syrian government’s full cooperation with OPCW mandates.
Ambassador Schieb highlighted the importance of Germany’s support in enabling the Technical Secretariat and Syria to finalize the destruction of chemical weapons. Director-General Arias praised Germany for its ongoing commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and international peace and security, emphasizing that the success of eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons depends on political, financial, and technical support from all States Parties.
The funding will aid OPCW missions to assess the full scope of Syria’s chemical weapons program, investigate alleged chemical weapons use, and identify perpetrators. Germany has been an active OPCW member since 1997 and currently serves on the Executive Council, in addition to participating in various subsidiary organs including the Scientific Advisory Board and the Advisory Board on Education and Outreach. To date, Germany has contributed approximately €14.1 million to nine OPCW Trust Funds, including previous support for Syria missions and initiatives related to Ukraine.
Syria acceded to the CWC in 2013, but the former Syrian government did not fully declare its chemical weapons program and attempted to mislead the international community. Documented chemical weapons use has been confirmed both by the former Syrian military and non-state actors such as ISIS/ISIL. The fall of the Assad government in December 2024 provided a renewed opportunity to uncover and eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons. Since February 2025, OPCW missions have engaged in site visits, sampling, document collection, and interviews to verify Syria’s compliance.
The OPCW, with 193 Member States, serves as the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention, overseeing global efforts to eliminate chemical weapons. Since the CWC entered into force in 1997, OPCW has verified the irreversible destruction of 72,304 metric tonnes of declared chemical agents. The organisation’s extensive work in disarmament earned it the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, marking it as the most successful treaty in eliminating a whole class of weapons of mass destruction.
