The 105th session of the Executive Council of the OPCW took place from 5 to 8 March 2024. Ambassador Thomas Schieb once again urged Syria to comply with its obligations under the CWC, expressed his dismay at the death of Alexei Navalny and requested the Executive Council to assist in investigating the alleged use of riot control agents by Russia in Ukraine.

Syria would continue to not fully comply with its obligations under the CWC. Even though there have been some positive developments, new concerns have come up, which raise doubts about the full completion of Syria's chemical weapons program, Ambassador Schieb stated. He also condemned the use of chemical weapons by IS in Marea, Syria, on 1 September 2015, as identified in the fourth report of the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT).

47 States Parties, including Germany, expressed their shock at the death of Alexei Navalny in a joint statement. Ambassador Schieb also pointed out that there can be no other plausible explanation for the attempted murder of Alexei Navalny in August 2020 with a nerve agent from the Novichok group than the Russian Federation's responsibility; it would be evident that President Putin and the Russian authorities were ultimately responsible for Mr. Navalny's death.

After Russia allegedly continues to use riot control agents as a method of warfare in the unlawful war against Ukraine - this would be a violation of the CWC - Germany, together with other states, has requested the Executive Council pursuant to Art. IX (3) CWC to assist in clarifying these potential violations.

Ambassador Schieb emphasized the need for a deeper understanding of the fast-evolving technologies and their impact on the work of the OPCW. In this context, he referred to the consultations held by Ecuador and Germany on interacting with the civil society - including academia and chemical industry - in the work of the OPCW.

National Statement of Germany during EC-105 PDF / 89 KB Joint Statement on the Tragic Death of Alexey Navalny PDF / 72 KB