Director-General Addressed the 12th International Chemical Weapons Demilitarisation Conference

He recalled that since the last CWD in 2008 (Interlaken, Switzerland), two additional possessor States had completed the destruction of their chemical weapons stockpiles.

On 19 May 2009, the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, attended the 12th International Chemical Weapons Demilitarisation Conference (CWD 2009), held in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom.

Director-General Pfirter in his keynote address underscored the importance of the Chemical Weapons Convention as an effective instrument for promoting the objectives of international peace and security. He noted that progress continues to be made in achieving the goals of the Convention, both as a tool for disarmament and non-proliferation. He recalled that since the last CWD in 2008 (Interlaken, Switzerland), two additional possessor States had completed the destruction of their chemical weapons stockpiles.

As regards the destruction activities of the remaining possessor States, Director-General Pfirter stated that they continued to make good progress towards meeting the final deadlines for elimination of their stockpiles. In this context, he mentioned that the Russian Federation had destroyed 30.35% and the United States had destroyed 60.11% of their respective Category 1 declared chemical weapons stockpiles.

Director-General Pfirter further provided information on the status of destruction of chemical weapons as at 30 April 2009: the aggregate amount of Category 1 chemical weapons destroyed by all possessor States was 30,530 metric tonnes, or approximately 44%, of the declared quantity of this category of chemical weapons; the amount of Category 2 chemical weapons destroyed to date was 915 metric tonnes, or around 52% of the total amount declared, while all declared Category 3 chemical weapons had already been destroyed.

Drawing attention to the Convention’s non-proliferation regime, Director-General Pfirter stated that over 3,200 inspections had been conducted in 80 countries, of which more than 1,600 covered industrial sites.

Director-General Pfirter also mentioned the Organisation’s programmes for assistance and protection, for the promotion of the peaceful uses of chemistry, as well as the activities undertaken to promote the universality of the Convention.

Since 1998, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, an agency of the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom, has organised annual chemical weapons demilitarisation conferences to bring together international experts to discuss issues relating to the destruction of chemical weapons and to improve international co-operation.

OPCW News 21/2009, distributed 27 May 2009

Categories: Disarmament, Outreach