Asia and the OPCW

Asia is a major stakeholder in the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). This publication lists some of the benefits which membership in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) has brought to States Parties in Asia.

The goal of the OPCW is to free the world of chemical weapons, and 188 countries —including 51 in Asia— have now joined forces to achieve it. This goal is enshrined in the Convention, which entered into force on 29 April 1997.

Ambassador Minoru Shibuya of Japan, Permanent Representative of Japan to the OPCW, was elected as Chairperson of the Conference at its Thirteenth Session and will hold office until a successor is elected at the next regular session. China and the Islamic Republic of Iran were elected Vice-Chairs. Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates are members of the Credentials Committee.

Past Chairpersons of the Conference from Asia were:

• Ambassador Waleed Ben Abdel Karim El Khereiji of Saudi Arabia (Second Review Conference, April 2008);
• Ambassador Dato' Noor Farida Ariffin of Malaysia (Eighth Session, October 2003);
• Ambassador Young-shik Song of the Republic of Korea (Third Session, November 1998).

Nine Asian States always represent the Asian region on the Executive Council, serving on a rotational basis. One additional State Party is alternately designated by States Parties in the regions of Asia and of Latin America and the Caribbean, serving as a rotating member from these regions.

For the period 12 May 2010 to 11 May 2011, the Asian members of the Council are China, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Japan, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.

Past Chairpersons of the Council from Asia were:

• Ambassador Romeo A. Arguelles of the Philippines (2007–2008)
• Ambassador Lionel Fernando of Sri Lanka (2002–2003)
• Ambassador Prabhakar Menon of India, first Chairperson of the Council (1997–1998)

China, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea are also represented on OPCW subsidiary bodies, including the Advisory Body on Administrative and Financial Matters, the Confidentiality Commission, and the Scientific Advisory Board. Pakistan was the External Auditor for a six-year term (2003-2008).

The contribution of the Asian States Parties is reflected in a number of senior posts in the Technical Secretariat that are held by nationals from the region, including the Directors of the External Relations and Inspectorate divisions, and the Heads of the following branches: Human Resources, Technical Support, Government Relations and Political Affairs, Training and Staff Development, and International Cooperation.

Since the entry into force of the Convention, the Asian region has generously supported the Organisation's international cooperation programmes with voluntary contributions by the governments of China, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia and Thailand. In addition, Asian Member States provide a broad spectrum of other support including logistical services for workshops, seminars and conferences, the replacement of outdated information technology and software, and funding for new training programmes and consultancy services.

The Secretariat and the Republic of Singapore jointly organised the first regional training course on emergency response to chemical incidents for the States Parties from Asia, which was held in Singapore from 2 to 6 March 2009.

Moreover, at the request of the National Authority of Viet Nam, the Secretariat dispatched a team for an initial technical assessment visit to start a project for national capacity building against chemical weapons. The visit was conducted in Hanoi, Viet Nam, from 3 to 5 March.

A technical assistance visit to the Kingdom of Bhutan on 13 and 14 April was organised with the aim of raising awareness among key stakeholders regarding the national implementing legislation in accordance with the requirements under Article VII of the Convention. This visit was the first in a series to be undertaken by the Technical Secretariat in support of grants made to States Parties under the 2007 European Union Joint Action.

I also wish to inform you that in the area of implementation support, the Technical Secretariat is currently in the advanced stages of preparation for a regional workshop for customs authorities in Asia on the technical aspects of the transfers regime of the Convention, which is to be held in Hong Kong from 10 to 12 June 2009, with the gracious cooperation of the Chinese government and the Hong Kong authorities. Through this workshop, the Technical Secretariat hopes to sensitise senior customs officials to the requirements of the transfer provisions of the Convention and thereby supplement ongoing efforts to train mid-level and operational-level customs officials through the subregional training courses offered in Asia. The workshop will also provide the Technical Secretariat with the opportunity to highlight the need for closer interaction between National Authorities, customs and port authorities to monitor trade in chemicals.