The Trump administration has withheld tens of millions of dollars in funding for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), raising concerns about the future of efforts to eliminate chemical weapons in Syria and monitor their use in conflict zones such as Ukraine and Sudan. According to sources familiar with the matter, the United States has paid only about 20 percent of its assessed 2026 contribution, which constitutes the largest single share of the OPCW’s approximately $90 million annual budget, allocated under United Nations guidelines.

At a recent meeting of the OPCW’s executive council, Director-General Sabrina Dallafior highlighted the organization’s strained financial situation, warning that without increased funding, core activities—including the cataloguing and destruction of remnants of Syria’s chemical weapons program—may need to be scaled back. “That is the stark reality,” she told council members without explicitly naming the United States.

The reasons behind the U.S. funding shortfall remain unclear. Ambassador Nicole Shampaine, the U.S. permanent representative to the OPCW, did not mention funding issues in her remarks but emphasized the importance of maintaining the organization’s independence and technical capabilities. The U.S. State Department stated that it continues to support the OPCW’s mission while seeking assurance that the body uses its budget efficiently and responsibly.

The withholding of funds is consistent with the Trump administration’s broader skepticism of international organizations, which it has often criticized as inefficient or politicized. Since President Donald Trump’s second term began, the administration has taken steps to reduce U.S. engagement with various multilateral bodies, including withdrawing from the World Health Organization, UNESCO, and the U.N. Human Rights Council.

However, analysts have expressed confusion over the decision to delay OPCW payments, noting that the U.S. mission had previously approved the 2026 budget. Other countries have also delayed payments, including China, which has contributed approximately half of its required share. Overall, the OPCW has received only 65 percent of its budget this year, according to Dallafior.

A financial advisory board warned in July that the OPCW faces a precarious financial position that could impede its ability to meet payroll and carry out key operations. Last month, a bipartisan group of experts urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to maintain U.S. funding, highlighting the OPCW’s historic bipartisan support and its receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013.

The State Department has identified the OPCW as one of several international organizations that advance U.S. national security and global stability, alongside entities like the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Christopher Park, a former State Department and White House official involved with the OPCW, noted that the funding shortfall is particularly unusual given the organization’s historically strong reputation for financial and administrative management.

Established under the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention—a landmark treaty that saw cooperation between Moscow and Washington—the OPCW gained prominence during the Syrian civil war. Its experts documented repeated use of chemical weapons by the regime of Bashar al-Assad, including attacks on civilians. Following President Assad’s fall in December 2024, the OPCW began working with the new government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa to destroy remaining chemical weapon stockpiles. In May, OPCW teams reported identifying over 100 sites linked to the former regime’s chemical weapons program, uncovering attempts to mislead the international community about its scope.