Statement from the White House on the Awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the OPCW

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
October 11, 2013
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

President Obama congratulates the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which reinforces the international community’s commitment to the international prohibition against the use of chemical weapons. One of the President’s highest priorities is to prevent the proliferation or use of weapons of mass destruction, and this award honors those who make it their life’s work to advance this vital goal. Since its establishment 16 years ago, the OPCW has stood at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to verifiably eliminate some of the world’s most dangerous weapons. Today’s award recognizes that commitment, and reinforces the trust and confidence the world has placed in the OPCW, Director-General Ahmed Uzumcu, and the courageous OPCW experts and inspectors taking on the unprecedented challenge of eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons program. The United States strongly supports the OPCW, including its joint work with the United Nations, to ensure that Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles are placed under international control and ultimately destroyed. Today, we again call on all nations to work to bring to an end the conflict that has cost the lives of more than 100,000 Syrians, and to support the OPCW’s efforts in the hope that future generations can live in a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/10/11/statement-press-secretary-awarding-nobel-peace-prize-organization-prohib