Latin America and the Caribbean and the OPCW

Latin America and the Caribbean 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 Latin America and the Caribbean.

The goal of the OPCW is to free the world of chemical weapons, and 188 countries —including 33 in Latin America and the Caribbean— have now joined forces to achieve it. This goal is enshrined in the Convention, which entered into force on 29 April 1997.

But achieving global chemical disarmament remains a formidable challenge and the threat posed by chemical weapons is still real. They can be more easily produced and stockpiled than other forms of weapons of mass destruction and present a clear danger to all people, especially in areas of conflict. They also pose a particular risk in the hands of terrorists. Ensuring their complete elimination is not a task that can be dealt with only by some; it requires action by the entire international community.

A chemical weapons-free world will only be achieved when all countries join the Convention and implement it fully. The development, production, stockpiling, transfer or use of chemical weapons must be criminalised in every country.

The Convention benefits all nations by eliminating a common threat and enhancing mutual trust. It is non-discriminatory and mandates the OPCW to deliver concrete support to all Member States. Nations that are threatened by chemical attack, or actually suffer such an attack, can call upon the OPCW's assistance and protection.

The OPCW promotes the peaceful uses of chemistry and international cooperation to facilitate the exchange of scientific and technical information among States Parties. These programmes yield real economic benefits.

The OPCW also provides implementation support for States Parties in this region to ensure that the national infrastructure needed to effectively implement the Convention is established. This team effort serves to strengthen both regional and international security and to bolster each State Party's regulatory framework. This work brings real economic benefits as well.

This region has a long-standing tradition of pioneering disarmament initiatives in the field of weapons of mass destruction. This tradition began before the conclusion of the CWC with such signal achievements as the 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco for the prohibition of nuclear weapons in Latin America, and the Mendoza Declaration, signed in 1991, which unilaterally banned chemical and biological weapons from a large portion of Latin America. In this sense, the presence and active support of Latin America and the Caribbean in the OPCW is a continuation of the region's policies over the years and its strong commitment to peace and security.

OPCW Member States in Latin America and the Caribbean have made significant contributions to the advancement of national implementation, in particular with the establishment of a regional network of legal experts, inspiring other regions to pursue similar support networks to achieve the effective implementation of the Convention.

In the Second Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention which took place in April 2008, OPCW Member States comprehensively reviewed the operations of the CWC and provided guidelines for its effective implementation in the future.

We look forward to the continued cooperation of the States Parties in the region in implementing the Convention effectively.

The Conference of States Parties elected Costa Rica and Ecuador as Vice-Chairs at its Thirteenth Session, who will hold office until successors are elected at the next regular session of the Conference. Argentina and Bolivia are members of the Credentials Committee.

Past Chairpersons of the Conference from Latin America and the Caribbean were:

• H.E. Mr José Antonio Arróspide Del Busto of Peru (Tenth Session, November 2005);
• H.E. Mr Jaime Lagos of Chile (Fifth Session, May 2000).

Seven States from Latin America and the Caribbean always represent the 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 2009 to 11 May 2010, the members of the Council from Latin America and the Caribbean are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. H.E. Mr Jorge Lomónaco Tonda, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the OPCW, is the Chair of the Council. Costa Rica is the regional coordinator.

Past Chairpersons of the Council from Latin America and the Caribbean were:

• H.E. Mr José Antonio Arróspide Del Busto of Peru (2004-2005)
• H.E. Mr Ignacio Pichardo Pagaza of Mexico (1999-2000)

Argentina, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru are represented on OPCW subsidiary bodies, including the Advisory Body on Administrative and Financial Matters, the Confidentiality Commission, and the Scientific Advisory Board.

The Technical Secretariat assists the Conference of States Parties and the Executive Council and has a staff of about 500 people. It carries out the daily work of implementing the Convention, including conducting inspections.

The contribution of States Parties from Latin America and the Caribbean is reflected in a number of senior posts in the Technical Secretariat that are held by nationals from the region, including the Director-General, the Legal Adviser, and the Head of the Inspectorate Management branch.

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Argentina Today, the OPCW generates a climate of confidence that is essential to international peace and stability. To that end, my Government takes part in its activities in general and promotes international cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean, having recently undertaken Regional Workshops on Inspection Escort Training and on Prevention and Assistance against Chemical Weapons. Soon, it will host a Seminar on the Legislative Aspects of Implementation, thus sharing its experience in the matter. Hoping to achieve a more complete fulfilment of the CWC, my Government exhorts Possessor States to fulfil the deadlines and conditions established therein. At the same time and trusting in the OPCW’s capabilities to that end, it calls for the continued improvement of the implementation of verification under a just system.

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Brazil First and foremost, I would like to draw attention to what has brought us together in signing this Convention: the common goal of freeing the world of the horrors of chemical warfare, through a comprehensive ban on chemical weapons throughout the globe. As we approach the universalization of the Convention and the complete destruction of stockpiles, Brazil would like to emphasize the need of compliance, by all Possessor States, to the timelines established by the CWC. Although aware of the difficulties that might be faced by Possessor States, we consider respect for the final deadlines to be of utmost importance for strengthening the Convention. The CWC is a reference for all those who seek universal and effective disarmament by means of multilateral legal instruments and regimes. Such effectiveness is directly linked to the commitment of completely destroying all arsenals. At a time when the world’s eyes turn to us for example and hope, we must not fail in our responsibility to support and strengthen the CWC.

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Colombia Disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are fundamental principles of Colombia’s foreign policy. We have therefore actively participated in every initiative aimed at achieving the general and complete disarmament of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons as well as preventing the proliferation of these. We are convinced of the importance of dealing with these issues which are essential for international peace and security in the context of multilateralism, with due respect for the rights and obligations of every State and with the full participation of the international community.

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Cuba on behalf of the NAM CWC States Parties and China The existence of weapons of mass destruction continues to pose a threat to international peace and security. The NAM CWC States Parties and China therefore call for the general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control, including the prohibition and elimination of all weapons of mass destruction in line with the first preambular paragraph of the Convention. The purpose of this Second Review Conference of the CWC is to review the operation of the Convention, taking into consideration any relevant scientific and technological developments. The NAM CWC States Parties and China firmly believe that the review process should uphold the Convention in its entirety and reiterate the commitment of all States Parties to the effective and balanced implementation of all its provisions. The review process should in no way lead to a change in the focus of the Convention. We stress that the total destruction of chemical weapons is one of the fundamental pillars of the Convention. In this regard, the compliance with the deadlines as set forth in the Convention constitutes an integral part of the undertakings by the chemical weapons Possessor States to destroy their chemical weapons stockpiles.

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Mexico Mexico is convinced that this Second Review Conference shall give us the opportunity to render our organisation stronger and forward-looking. However, Mexico firmly believes that we will only effectively do so if we succeed in maintaining (our Organisation) unshakably rooted in what has been at its very origin, and if we take into full account the nature of the myriad developments that make up today’s reality and distinguish the substantive issues, without deviating from what we, the States Parties, consider to be the Convention’s underlying objective: advancing towards the achievement of “general and complete disarmament”. More than ten years have passed since the CWC entered into force and, for the second time, we are to engage in a complex inventory and ... exercise, whose main goal shall be to objectively appraise where we are, how and what we have accomplished, and the challenges that lay ahead.

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Peru Although there has been significant progress in configuring an international legal regime for non-proliferation and disarmament, as we begin this new century this regime is facing new challenges. It is necessary to ensure the destruction of existing chemical weapons held by States, but the risk of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction does not involve the activity by States solely. We notice with concern the existence of non-State agents which try to develop, acquire, produce, possess, ship, transfer or employ nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery.

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The OPCW has developed a range of programmes to promote international cooperation, implementation support and chemical weapons protection, through extensive consultations with Member States and their National Authorities. These programmes are directly relevant to the needs and priorities of Member States in the region. A general overview of the period from entry into force of the Convention on 29 April 1997 to the present is provided below.

The OPCW’s implementation support programmes assist States Parties to meet their obligations under Article VII of the Convention. The areas of support include establishing National Authorities for effective liaison with the OPCW; taking the necessary steps to enact legislation, including penal legislation, and adopt administrative measures to implement the Convention; identifying declarable chemical industry and trade activities; and submitting accurate declarations.

In 2007, National Authorities met in Chile to discuss practical aspects of implementing the Convention (May). The training of national inspection escorts in Latin American and Caribbean Member States was the focus of a workshop in Argentina (April). Training courses for National Authority personnel were hosted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (January), France (March and October), Spain (July), and Brazil (September). In preparation for the training course in Brazil, representatives of lusophone States Parties and States not Party were briefed in The Hague on the implementation of the Convention (June). The role played by national parliaments in enacting national implementing legislation was discussed in a regional meeting of parliamentarians in Latin America and the Caribbean which took place in Colombia (July), with funding support from the EU Joint Action programme.

In total, more than 650 participants from States Parties in Latin American and the Caribbean have benefited from the OPCW’s implementation support programmes since their inception in December 2000.

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