This speech appears to be a statement delivered by a representative of the United Kingdom at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Executive Council meeting. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:

1. Opening remarks: The speaker congratulates the new Executive Council Chair, Ambassador Terán Parral, and welcomes the incoming members of the Executive Council.
2. DG’s programme of work: The speaker commends Director General Arias for outlining the Technical Secretariat’s comprehensive programme of work and highlights the OPCW’s achievements, including the recent designation of a laboratory in Algeria.
3. Threats to the CWC: The speaker emphasizes that chemical weapons continue to be a threat to international security, citing the Russian use of Riot Control Agents in Ukraine as a clear breach of Article 1 of the Convention.
4. Request to the Executive Council: The speaker, alongside 12 other States Parties, requests the Executive Council’s assistance in clarifying reports of Russian breaches of the Chemical Weapon Convention in Ukraine under Article IX.
5. Support for Ukraine: The speaker announces that the UK contributed £350,000 to the OPCW Assistance to Ukraine project, which provided crucial detection and protective equipment to Kyiv, and expresses the UK’s ongoing commitment to supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
6. Syria’s chemical weapons declaration: The speaker expresses concerns about the Assad regime’s failure to provide an accurate chemical weapons declaration, which has been ongoing for over ten years.
7. Call to action: The speaker urges all States Parties to come together and commit to supporting the OPCW in addressing current and future threats to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Overall, the speech highlights the UK’s commitment to supporting the OPCW and upholding the principles of the Chemical Weapons Convention, particularly in the face of Russian aggression and the ongoing threat posed by the Assad regime.

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