Mr Jozias van Aartsen, the new Mayor of The Hague, visited the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on 31 March 2008 — his first visit to an international organisation since taking office on 27 March 2008. Mr van Aartsen was accompanied by Mrs Hanneke Kortmann, Senior Policy Advisor to the Lord Mayor.
In welcoming Mr van Aartsen the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, expressed his appreciation for the strong commitment of the Government of the Netherlands to the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and praised its firm support for the work of the OPCW.
Director-General Pfirter cited the important role of the city of The Hague as the host for a number of international organisations and thanked Mr van Aartsen for the support given to OPCW by The Hague Municipality. He also briefed the Mayor on the Chemical Weapons Convention and expressed appreciation for the fact that Mr van Aartsen had visited the Organisation so early in his tenure.
Mr van Aartsen expressed his appreciation for the important work of the OPCW in banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction and noted its contribution to global peace and security. He assured the Director-General of the continued support of The Hague Municipality and also noted the strong and continuing ties between the Organisation and the host country.