PR19: 5th Conference of the State Parties Ends

The Hague, 19 May 2000			Number 19

Press Release

5th Conference of the State Parties Ends

RE-APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR-GENERAL SEEN AS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN CWC & OPCW

The 5th Conference of the States Parties, the OPCW's supreme governing body, ended in The Hague on Friday 19th May, with the re-appointment of the Director-General Mr José Bustani for a second term of four years starting 13 May 2001.

Mr Bustani's re-appointment by the Conference, a year before his contract was due to expire, is being seen as a vote of confidence by the member states in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as well a personal vote of confidence in the Director-General himself.

Mr Bustani said:
"I am, of course, extremely grateful for the decision by the member states to re-appoint me as Director-General, but I see it less as a vote for me and more as a vote of confidence in the OPCW and the quality of the work we have been doing. The CWC is verifiable disarmament that works and the OPCW is the mechanism that makes it work."

That confidence in the CWC was also reflected in the decision by the Conference to recommend extending the deadline for the Russian Federation to destroy 1% of its Chemical Weapons.

Delegates were assured of Russia's commitment to begin destroying its stockpile, despite its current economic problems.

The Conference also approved a number of requests from the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom for the conversion of former Chemical Weapons production facilities to peaceful purposes.

Delegates also welcomed two new members to the OPCW, Malaysia and The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which join the Organisation on Saturday 20th May, bringing the number of member states to 135.

Addressing the Conference earlier in the week, Yugoslavia's Assistant Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Miroslav Milosevic, said his government was ready and willing to carry out its obligations under the CWC and that the Federal Republic would cooperate to the fullest extent with the OPCW and had no problem receiving both regular and challenge inspections.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) came into existence on 29 April 1997. Its deed of foundation—the Chemical Weapons Convention—aims to achieve four principal objectives: the elimination of chemical weapons and of the capacity to develop them, the verification of non-proliferation, international assistance and protection in the event of the use or threat of use of chemical weapons, and international cooperation and assistance in the peaceful use of chemistry.

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