High-level Delegation of Swiss Parliamentarians Visits the OPCW

On 23 February, a delegation of Swiss Parliamentarians headed by Mr Peter Hess, the Speaker of the Swiss National Council, paid an official visit to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), in The Hague. Mr Hess also took advantage of the opportunity to address the Executive Council of the OPCW, which was meeting in its Twenty-Third Session.

In discussions with the Swiss delegation, the Director-General of the OPCW, Mr José M. Bustani, praised Switzerland for its deep commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and expressed his appreciation to the Swiss Government for its contributions to international efforts to assist Russia in destroying its chemical weapons stockpile. Mr Bustani also acknowledged the active Swiss support for the ongoing work of the Organisation, as well as for various important OPCW training activities. The Director-General expressed the hope that, through efforts such as the OPCW’s Associate Programme, the cause of international cooperation in the peaceful use of chemistry would be advanced, and called on the Swiss chemical industry to support this project, which is vital for the universality of the CWC.

The Director-General and the visiting Swiss delegation agreed on the importance of achieving the goal of universality, and the need for common efforts to bring States presently outside the CWC, especially those in the Middle East and North Asia, into the community of Member States of the OPCW as soon as possible. Mr Bustani also highlighted the key role played by the verification regime in achieving the non-proliferation objectives of the Convention, and stressed that the OPCW’s verification regime will continue to be applied in an even-handed and impartial manner in all States Parties.

In his address to the OPCW’s Executive Council, Mr Hess reaffirmed Switzerland’s continuing support for the CWC, and noted the rapid maturation of the OPCW’s work. He further commended the OPCW for its accomplishments in the field of the verification of the destruction of chemical weapons. In this context, Mr Hess said that the Swiss Parliament is asking the Swiss Government to "come forward with concrete proposals on how Switzerland could join international efforts to assist the Russian Federation more effectively in fulfilling its obligations under the Convention".

08/2001

Categories: Associate Programme, Outreach, Parliamentarians, Western Europe and Other States