On 7 November 2005, Senator Dan Hays, the Speaker of the Senate of Canada, and Head of the Canadian delegation to the Tenth Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, visited the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. OPCW Director General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, briefed Senator Hays on the current status of the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention by the OPCW’s 175 Member States.
In their meeting, Senator Hays assured Director General Pfirter of Canada’s continuing and firm resolve to support the Chemical Weapons Convention and its implementing agency, the OPCW. He stressed that the universal and effective application of this crucial multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation agreement enhances all nations’ security. Senator Hays reiterated that his Government has and will continue to contribute to this end, including through its commitment to support the Russian Federation in its continuing effort to destroy the world’s largest stockpile of chemical weapons.
Director General Pfirter expressed on behalf of the Organisation his thanks for Canada ‘s long-standing support for a global chemical weapons ban and for its on-going engagement in both chemical disarmament and in supporting other Member States fulfil their obligations under the Convention.
On the occasion of the Tenth Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, Senator Hays commended the OPCW Member States for the progress they had made in implementing their national obligations. He called upon all Member States that had not as yet been able to complete this crucial task to do so as quickly as possible. Senator Hays urged all States Parties that possessed chemical weapons to destroy the existing stockpiles within the timeframes provided for by the Convention so that these weapons can no longer pose a threat.
68/2005