The OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, opened the 8th Regional Meeting of National Authorities in Asia held in Kuwait City from 1 to 3 November 2010. The meeting was attended by more than 45 participants from 29 States Parties* and co-hosted by the National Authority of Kuwait. The meeting was formally opened by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Kuwait, H.H. Sheikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
During his visit Director-General Üzümcü also held bilateral discussions with the First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister; with the Under-Secretary of Defense, Mr Jasar Al Jasar; and with the Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mr Khalid Al Jarallah. The Director-General thanked the officials for Kuwait’s firm commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and for its support to the OPCW. He also stressed the importance of full and effective implementation of the Convention and the need for all States Parties, including Kuwait, to adopt comprehensive national legislation to ensure CWC implementation as soon as possible.
In his remarks to the regional meeting, the Director-General stated that close collaboration among States Parties in implementing the CWC is an example of the kind of multilateralism in action that makes the OPCW a unique international organization. The Director-General highlighted universality as another key factor underpinning the Convention’s success. He noted that the OPCW currently counts 188 States Parties and that of the seven countries remaining outside the Convention, three are in the Asia region – the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Myanmar, and Syria. While some States not Party link their adherence to other issues such as regional security, the Director-General said removing this linkage and joining the Convention would enable those countries to demonstrate their commitment to international peace and security.
The regional meeting offered a platform for participating National Authorities and the Technical Secretariat to exchange information and experiences on different aspects relating to industry verification. Participants exchanged views on enhancing regional and sub-regional cooperation and identified areas for possible cooperation. A number of bilateral meetings were held between participating National Authority representatives and the Secretariat staff on national implementation issues.
* Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Qatar, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Viet Nam, Yemen.
OPCW 35/2010