From 6-9 October 2026 the newly appointed Ambassador Gudrun Lingner represented Germany at the 113th Session of the OPCW Executive Council. This Executive Council session was also the first for the new OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Sabrina Dallafior Matter, since taking over leadership of the organization in the summer of 2026.

Key topics of the session included Syria’s progress in the OPCW-verified destruction of the remnants of the chemical weapons program operated by the Assad regime in Syria. OPCW States Parties also discussed Russia’s violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention, such as the ongoing use of toxic substances in the war against Ukraine. Another important topic was addressing the challenges posed by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies in relation to the ban on chemical weapons.