King to attend OPCW’s 20th anniversary commemoration in The Hague
On Wednesday 26 April, His Majesty the King will attend a commemorative ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the founding of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), at the Hall of Knights in The Hague.
The OPCW oversees the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and global efforts to rid the world of chemical weapons. Currently, 192 states are party to the disarmament convention and nearly 95% of declared chemical weapon stockpiles have been destroyed under OPCW verification. For its tireless work to eliminate chemical weapons, the OPCW was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. The OPCW's headquarters are in The Hague.
During the ceremony, the King and the OPCW's Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü will unveil a plaque acknowledging the OPCW's anniversary. The commemorative ceremony will feature statements by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, who is a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bert Koenders, Mayor Pauline Krikke of The Hague and others.
