The Hague, 15 September 2004

Uruguay Expands National Authority Mandate

During the national seminar on the implementation of the chemical weapons non-proliferation regime under the Chemical Weapons Convention, held in Montevideo, Uruguay on 9 September 2004, the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Mr Rogelio Pfirter, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr H.E. Didier Opertti Badán.

Mr Opertti Badán reiterated his Government’s full support for the Convention’s goals and renewed its commitment to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Convention in Uruguay.

Director-General Pfirter also met the Chairman and members of the Foreign Relations and Defence Committees of the Uruguayan Senate and House of Representatives. The legislators expressed their determination to speed the complete enactment of the national legislation, required to ensure that any breach of the Convention can be detected, pursued, prosecuted, and, in the event of conviction, severely punished.

In conjunction with this meeting, Uruguayan President, H.E. Mr Jorge Batlle Ibáñez, signed a Presidential Decree, expanding the competence and mandate of the Uruguayan National Authority to be able to meet its obligations in full under the Convention.

The OPCW’s National Authorities act as a national focal point for effective liaison with the OPCW and other States Parties to the Convention. In addition, the National Authority bears the responsibility of ensuring that the trade in certain chemicals that could be used, either directly or through synthesis with other compounds, as chemical weapons is restricted to OPCW Member States.

National Authorities also monitor the import and export of the chemicals listed in the Convention’s Schedules of Chemicals. Monitoring and restricting transfers is a fundamental part of the Convention’s non-proliferation regime, which undertakes to prevent the re-emergence of these banned weapons.

On behalf of the OPCW, the Director-General acknowledged with appreciation the clear commitment of the Uruguayan Government in its support for the full and effective implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention at the national level.