U.S. Secretary of State Congratulates the OPCW on its Tenth Anniversary

10 May 2007
USA

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Entry into Force of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the founding of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Secretary of State of the United States of America, H.E. Ms Condoleezza Rice, sent the following message to OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter:

“Congratulations on the tenth anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and its staff continue to make important contributions to increasing security for every nation against the threat of chemical weapons. Thank you for your leadership and OPCW’s contributions toward the common goal of excluding the use of chemical weapons. The steady progress made in eliminating chemical weapons stockpiles and the facilities that produce them is very encouraging.

The United States recognizes that much remains to be done to achieve a fully effective global ban on chemical weapons. The United States is committed to fulfilling its obligation to destroy all of its chemical weapons and will do so as rapidly as possible, while at the same time ensuring the safety of workers, the public, and the environment. We will continue to work with the OPCW to bring on board the few countries that remain outside the Convention and will continue to assist the countries that are party to the Convention to implement fully and comply with their obligations. We will also continue to cooperate closely with the OPCW to address new chemical threats, such as the use of common industrial chemicals as chemical weapons in Iraq.

From the presentation of the draft treaty in 1984 until the present day, the United States has been a major force in the global effort to ban chemical weapons. I assure you of the United States government’s continued strong support for and commitment to the Convention and the OPCW.

I wish you and your colleagues continued success on this important anniversary.”

PR42 / 2007