Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines Congratulates the OPCW on its Tenth Anniversary

19 July 2007

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Entry into Force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the founding of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Honorable Alberto G. Romulo, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Philippines sent a congratulatory message to the OPCW and its Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter.

In his message, Foreign Affairs Secretary Romulo stressed that “as the first multilateral disarmament agreement that requires the elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction, the CWC is a landmark commitment from the international community that continues to resonate with meaning today. Over the last 10 years, we have seen the keen resolve of the international community—through the OPCW—to secure the world from the threats of chemical weapons.”

Noting that much remains to be done, Foreign Affairs Secretary Romulo stated that “global cooperation in the OPCW—particularly in the development of chemistry for peaceful purposes—holds genuine promise for the growth and protection of the global community.”

Reiterating Philippines commitment to the CWC, Foreign Affairs Secretary Romulo asserted that “with the support of the OPCW, its Technical Secretariat under the Director-General’s able leadership and the Member States, the Philippines—as Chair of the Executive Council—hopes to further build on the CWC’s enduring legacy of a more peaceful world.”

PR74 / 2007