H.E. Mr ZHANG Yunming, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology,
Mr CHEN Jie, Vice Mayor of Shanghai Municipal Government,
Ambassador TAN Jian,
Deputy Director-General, Ambassador Odette Melono,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Government of the People’s Republic of China, represented here today by the Vice-Minister, for hosting this important workshop, and for your warm welcome and hospitality.
I am very pleased to be in Shanghai once again after my visit last September.
Shanghai has an old history and, at the same time, is now at the forefront of technological development.
I wish to welcome all of the delegations from various parts of the world.
Your Excellency, Vice-Minister, your collaboration on this workshop comes at a critical time.
The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is already impacting every aspect of our daily activities.
This is true for many scientific disciplines including the chemical sciences and the fields of disarmament and non-proliferation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Chemical Weapons Convention (the Convention), with its Organisation known as the OPCW, remains a central pillar of the international disarmament system.
The Convention is the most widely adhered-to disarmament treaty.
With 193 States Parties, 98% of the global population lives under its protection.
Its overarching mission is the elimination of chemical weapons and the prevention of their re-emergence.
Every year, the OPCW conducts hundreds of industry inspections to promote a high level of safety in the chemical industry.
Alongside this, the Secretariat provides comprehensive support to the Organisation’s Member States.
We assist States Parties in implementing the Convention, and in ensuring that they have the capacity to meet their obligations.
We also provide States Parties with assistance and protection against the use and threat of use of chemical weapons, and strengthen their capacity to respond to chemical incidents.
It was in recognition of these efforts to rid the world of chemical weapons, that the OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013.
Ten years later, in July 2023, the OPCW reached a pivotal milestone, when we verified the complete destruction of all chemical weapons declared by the possessor States Parties.
More than 72,000 metric tonnes of chemical weapons were destroyed under the stringent verification of the Organisation’s inspectors.
However, our mission is far from complete.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Organisation is now firmly established after the successful completion of the destruction of all the declared chemical weapons stockpiles.
We are now focused on preventing the re-emergence of chemical weapons, a task much more difficult than could be expected some years ago.
As you know the multilateral system is under unprecedented pressure, marked by a geopolitical situation with serious tensions.
New technologies are being developed faster than we can evaluate their impact.
Over the past decade, despite our collective achievements, chemical weapons have been used in several countries.
In the ongoing war in Ukraine, there are allegations of use of chemical weapons by both sides.
In the Syrian Arab Republic, after more than a decade of work, and the destruction of 27 chemical weapons production facilities and 1,300 metric tonnes of chemical weapons stockpiles, the task is still unfinished because of the lack of cooperation under the Assad regime.
The Assad regime never declared a significant part of its chemical weapons programme and was unwilling to respond to the questions from the inspectors of the Organisation.
Following the fall of the Assad Government last December (2024), there have been a number of positive developments, and the Syrian transitional authorities have assured me of their commitment to fully meeting the country’s obligations under the Convention.
Our work is already well under way, and we have established a good level of cooperation and dialogue with the Syrian authorities.
A particular concern in Syria, and beyond, is the risk of chemical weapons falling into the hands of non-State actors.
The threat of chemical terrorism remains ever present.
ISIS has used chemical weapons in Iraq and in Syria.
The Aum Shinrikyo sect (cult) perpetrated an attack in the Tokyo subway using the chemical agent sarin in 1995.
Recently, an event organised by Japan and the United States was held at the Headquarters of the Organisation to better understand what happened on that day of 20 March 1995, when there were more than 640 victims as a result of the attack in Tokyo.
The conclusion was very clear: this could happen again anywhere in any city in any country, with much more serious consequences, using modern technologies (for instance those that disseminate chemicals by drones), which are nowadays at the disposal of many people.
Emerging technologies such as synthetic biology, drones, and 3D printing, all lower the technological barriers that had previously prevented non-State actors such as terrorists from acquiring and using chemical weapons.
Artificial intelligence and quantum computing only accelerate these developments.
Malicious actors may produce very dangerous chemicals in an easier, faster and cheaper way than before.
Such chemicals could be made with specific properties that could evade detection and simplify delivery.
However, all of these new technologies also hold great potential for assisting us in our mission.
AI, for instance, could be used by authorities to design new molecules of toxic chemicals and their synthetic pathways (routes), allowing for proactive response and countermeasures.
AI also has the potential to facilitate property prediction and risk assessments, aiding our ability to detect and counteract the use of toxic chemicals.
In a broader sense, the continued application of AI in chemistry will greatly accelerate scientific and technological advancements for our common benefit.
The challenge, therefore, is to optimise the opportunities, while recognising and mitigating any potential risks.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The OPCW has adopted a proactive approach to addressing the impact of AI on the implementation of the Convention.
In April last year, I convened a two-day meeting of experts external to the Organisation (IBM, Google DeepMind, Accenture, University of Amsterdam, etc.) to explore the implications of AI on our work.
This important event provided a forum to discuss and share experience in different and complementary areas of AI and its use in chemistry.
In June 2024, the German Federal Foreign Office organised a conference on “AI and weapons of mass destruction,” which provided another key platform for discussing AI and its impact on disarmament and arms control.
I had the pleasure of delivering the keynote address at that conference, highlighting our ongoing efforts.
Building on this momentum, from 22 to 24 October last year, the Kingdom of Morocco and the OPCW co-organised the first-ever Global Conference on the Role of AI in Advancing the Implementation of the Convention in Rabat, Morocco.
The conference was unique, and it brought together over 190 stakeholders, with representatives from 46 States Parties and international organisations, as well as experts with a variety of backgrounds, from academia, and the chemical industry.
From these activities, and many others, we have now identified two key focus areas for our future work on artificial intelligence:
First, the continued analysis and assessment of the risks and opportunities of AI in the implementation of the Convention.
To this end, I established, a new Temporary Working Group (TWG) on AI consisting of 15 experts, which started its work in January this year.
Second, the Secretariat is running an AI Research Challenge.
In this project we are funding four teams to conduct research to find ways in which AI can be used to strengthen our capabilities.
The tasks of the Temporary Working Group on AI as well as the AI Research Challenge will be completed by the end of this year, creating a solid foundation on which we can continue to build.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today’s workshop is a direct continuation of the OPCW’s commitment to harnessing technology for enhanced chemical safety and security.
It builds on recommendations and outcomes from our earlier efforts.
As such, it is not only very timely, but also a vital initiative in maintaining momentum and producing tangible results.
It is the first capacity-building programme that the OPCW Technical Secretariat has organised in regard to AI and chemical safety and security.
Here in Shanghai, we will deepen our understanding of the potential practical uses of AI in strengthening chemical safety and security management in States Parties.
We will also explore potential risks related to the misuse of this transformational technology to cause harm.
We are well placed to do so, given the number of leading experts in chemistry and chemical industry present here today, both from the host country and abroad.
The workshop will showcase the use of AI in improving production and safety practices within the chemical industry.
It will also highlight the potential risks associated with AI, such as the possibility of circumventing security measures in pursuit of malicious objectives.
The workshop will develop recommendations for the OPCW and States Parties in advancing chemical safety and security using AI.
I am confident that its outcomes will contribute to enabling States Parties to better engage in the discussions within the Organisation.
Dear Vice-Minister,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I hope that the conversations that will take place here will continue in other relevant international fora, in addition to our own activities.
This will further enrich the global dialogue on AI and chemical safety and security.
I encourage you all to make the best use of this valuable opportunity.
Do not hesitate to engage actively in discussions during this workshop.
Make the most of every opportunity to network during the breaks.
And benefit as much as you can from the exchanges among all of you, AI experts.
I wish you all a productive workshop and look forward to receiving the outcomes in due course.
Thank you for your attention.