A national awareness workshop on the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is being held from 13 to 15 December 2005 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The workshop supports Cambodia in developing the national capacity to effectively implement the CWC. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Governments of Australia and Japan have jointly sponsored this workshop. Cambodia became a State Party to the CWC on 18 August 2005.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Mr Tea Banh, Deputy Prime Minister and Co-Minister of National Defence of Cambodia, reiterated his government’s commitment to the object and purpose of the Convention and referred to the work being done on the implementation of other disarmament and non-proliferation treaties such as the landmines and small arms Conventions. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that his Government had established a CWC Coordination Committee within the Ministry of Defence. The CWC Coordination Committee will assume the tasks leading to the establishment of the Cambodian National Authority and the preparation of the national implementing legislation. The Deputy Prime Minister expressed his thanks to the OPCW and the Governments of Australia and Japan for their support of the Workshop.
H.E. Ms Lisa Filipetto, Ambassador of Australia to Cambodia, stated that: “… the effectiveness of the Chemical Weapons Convention depends on universal participation and compliance, both of which are addressed by Cambodia’s ratification and its hosting of this workshop. Indeed, the workshop comes at a critical time, when all 175 States Parties are required to achieve full and effective implementation of the Convention, as agreed at the 8th Conference of States Parties in 2003 and as reiterated last month at the 10th Conference of the States Parties.”
Mr S. Inoue, Minister of the Embassy of Japan, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, underscored that “In order to ensure peace and security in Asia , it is essential to fully eliminate all chemical weapons in the region and promote universal adherence to the CWC. With the adherence of Cambodia to the Convention, promotion of universality in Asia has almost been completed. There are still two States not Party in the region, namely Myanmar and North Korea. Japan continues to persuade these two countries to join the CWC as soon as possible.”
On behalf of the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, Ms Magda Bauta, Head of Implementation Support, assured the Cambodian Government of the OPCW’s commitment to provide the CWC implementation assistance that Cambodia may request. She added that the workshop is designed to enable Cambodia to conclude a National Plan, with clearly defined target dates and that the required information be submitted to the OPCW Executive Council in accordance with the most recent decision taken by the Conference of States Parties.
Presentations by members of the Australian and Japanese National Authorities and OPCW staff will introduce participants to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and provide insight into the process of establishing and effectively operating a National Authority, as well as the legal rights and obligations of States Parties, the legal requirements of CWC implementation and the Convention’s verification regime.
Issue-focused meetings on specific implementation matters are to be held on 15 and 16 December 2005.
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