OPCW Director-General Opens World Congress on Chemical, Biological and Radiological Terrorism in Dubrovnik, Croatia

20 September 2005

On 19 September 2005, the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, opened the Third World Congress on Chemical, Biological and Radiological Terrorism, convening in Dubrovnik, Croatia, from 17-23 September.

The opening session was also addressed by H.E. Mr. Igor Pokaz, Assistant Minister for Defence of the Republic of Croatia, and Major General David B. Poythress, Adjutant General of the State of Georgia Department of Defense, USA.

The Third Congress is the continuation of a series of international gatherings organised jointly by Applied Science and Analysis from Portland, USA and AC Laboratory from Spiez, Switzerland, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of Croatia. The Congress gathers together scientists and experts from around the world seeking efficient responses in the case of attack, or major incidents, involving weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons.

Noting that the OPCW has supported from the outset the work of these scientific meetings through its involvement in the Congress, Director-General Pfirter drew the attention to the assistance and protection activities of the OPCW carried out under the Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

In that context he underlined the exemplary cooperation with the Republic of Croatia, particularly during the first field exercise carried out by the OPCW—Assistex I—in Croatia in 2002. In this regard he referred to the upcoming exercise Joint Assistance, taking place in October 2005 in Ukraine, which is held in close collaboration with the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Relief Coordination Centre, NATO; and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Director-General Pfirter briefed the participants on the progress made in implementing the two major OPCW Action Plans on Universality and on the CWC’s National Implementation, highlighting these efforts as the OPCW’s effective contributions in preventing both the eventual misuse of chemicals as weapons, as well as terrorist attacks with chemical weapons.

Contact information

National Authorities websites

Introduction

Declarations adviser

Legal affairs

Implementation support to States Parties

What to do before entry into force

What to do after becoming a State Party

Routine tasks

The Director-General also reiterated the expanding cooperation with global chemical industry in the joint effort to prevent the abuse of toxic chemicals for hostile purposes.

He looked forward to the OPCW’s continuing support and participation in the Congress’ further activities, in particular at its next session to be held in Spiez, Switzerland in May 2006.

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