Regional seminar on the Chemical Weapons Convention receives warm welcome in Malta

A regional seminar on the Chemical Weapons Convention, co-hosted by the Government of Malta and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, is being held from 2 - 4 June 1999 in Malta. This seminar is being attended by representatives of countries in the Mediterranean, Africa and Europe. These include Albania, Algeria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Sudan, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, and the host state Malta - all of which are either States Parties or contracting states - as well as Azerbaijan, Chad and Uganda, which are signatory states to the Convention.

In his welcoming address, the Hon. Dr Joe Borg, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Government of Malta, expressed his confidence in the work that has been carried out by the OPCW during the relatively short period of time since entry into force, and stated that "its task of implementing the Convention bodes well for multilateral chemical disarmament". Dr Borg also stated that this regional gathering of EU, Mediterranean and African countries "offers the possibility of in-depth discussions and exchange of experiences between countries representing two continents, engaged in their ongoing fight against chemical proliferation". Although Malta does not possess any chemical weapons, the Government of Malta believes that international conventions on weapons of mass destruction ought to be the shared responsibility of the international community.

Speaking on behalf of the OPCW's Director-General, Mr José Bustani, the Director of External Relations, Mr Huang Yu, commended Nigeria for its recent ratification and Sudan for its accession, and expressed his hope that other African countries, which remain under-represented in the Convention, would soon follow suit. In this context, he also commented on the fact that several key Middle Eastern states have yet to complete their internal preparations for ratification or accession to the Convention.

On a more positive note, Mr Huang reported on the smooth implementation of the Convention during the two years since it entered into force. To date, 125 states have either ratified or acceded to the Convention. Nine States Parties have declared past or current chemical weapons programmes. By moving quickly to verify these declarations in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner, the OPCW has started the important process of building security, encouraging mutual trust and enhancing confidence. As of 25 May 1999, OPCW staff have completed 475 inspections at nearly 270 sites on the territories of 29 States Parties, the bulk of which have been in the area of chemical weapons-related activities. In this area, 177 inspections have been carried out at 63 former chemical weapons production facilities and 33 storage sites. The OPCW continues to maintain a presence at chemical weapons destruction facilities. With respect to industry inspections, OPCW inspection teams have so far visited 141 facilities - some of them on more than one occasion.

It was stressed that it is essential for States Parties to meet their obligations by submitting their initial declarations within the stated time frame of 30 days after the Convention enters into force for them. Thus far, 91 States Parties have submitted their initial declarations. To this end, Mr Huang noted that "these seemingly restrictive obligations are in reality balanced by the enormous benefits offered by the Convention". These benefits include the rights of States Parties to request assistance and protection against the use or threat of use of chemical weapons, as well as the right to participate in the fullest possible exchange of equipment, material and scientific and technological information concerning means of protection against chemical weapons.

10/1999

Categories: Africa, Eastern Europe, Outreach, Universality