U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Addressed the Eleventh Session of the Conference Of The States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention and met OPCW Director-General

On 6 December 2006 , Mr Christopher A. Padilla, United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, addressed the Eleventh Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

In his statement to the Conference, Assistant Secretary Padilla noted the OPCW States Parties' fulfilment of their obligations under the CWC contributed to enhanced international security by reducing the risk of chemical weapons proliferation. He drew attention to the fact that the vast majority of the global chemical industry is located on the territory of States Parties that are implementing the Convention\'s non-proliferation regime in full. Assistant Secretary Padilla noted that only approximately 10% of the global chemical production capacity is located in those States Parties that have yet to reach full implementation.

In order to close the ever-narrowing gap in national legislation and administrative oversight, Assistant Secretary Padilla informed the Conference that the United States is introducing a new support package to assist States Parties in strengthening their national implementation. He detailed the support offer's components, which include expert assistance in drafting legislation and establishing a national implementation infrastructure, as well as specialised information packages for both National Authorities' and global industry's reference in their efforts to comply with their non-proliferation commitments under the CWC.

In their meeting on 6 December 2006 , OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, and Assistant Secretary Padilla discussed this proposal. Assistant Secretary Padilla expressed his Government\'s firm and continuing support for the OPCW's successful implementation of a global chemical weapons ban. Director-General Pfirter offered his thanks for the generous and wide-ranging support that United States has provided the Organisation, in particular in its pursuit of universal and effective national implementation of the Convention. Both Director-General Pfirter and Assistant Secretary Padilla concurred that the chemical weapons ban's effectiveness depended upon each and every State Party\'s diligent national application of the Convention, ensuring the peaceful uses of toxic chemicals.

PR1 / 2007

Categories: Conference of the States Parties