In December 2009 the 14th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention appointed H.E Mr Ahmet Üzümcü of Turkey as the next OPCW Director-General. In advance of his taking office on 25 July 2010, Ambassador Üzümcü responded to questions on the state of the OPCW and the challenges that lie ahead.
Ahmet Üzümcü
1. Since your appointment by the Conference, how have you been preparing yourself to assume the office of Director-General in July?
I have been preparing myself for the office of Director-General with briefings I receive from the OPCW senior officials; through visits to some States Parties upon their invitations; and by reading various publications. Contacts with the representatives of civil society have also been very fruitful. My goal is to have a complete picture of OPCW activities as well as substantive and administrative challenges that lie ahead. The incumbent Director-General, H.E. Rogelio Pfirter has been very helpful, sharing his thoughts with me on different issues. I am fortunate to have such a predecessor, an able leader who has been cordial and transparent. The competence and expertise of OPCW officials have impressed me. The States Parties have been very supportive and generous in welcoming me as the D-G designate. I had the opportunity to visit destruction facilities and laboratories. My contacts with other stakeholders such as the chemical industry and civil society have been equally useful. The achievements of the CWC regime have been the outcome of a collective and inclusive process, with the active participation of all stakeholders. Their warm and supportive attitude towards me during this transition has been encouraging. I believe that this collegial environment will help me to build on their successful legacy during my tenure.
2. What do you anticipate will be the biggest challenges in ensuring a smooth transition of leadership and OPCW operations?
I believe the transition will be smooth. I have already met the Permanent Representatives of members of the Executive Council and other ambassadors on different occasions. I know the senior officials in the OPCW. I have good friends and colleagues in the Dutch Foreign Ministry who promised to support me as the host country. I had the opportunity to learn more about the NGOs’ perspective which will always be an important factor. I think I am sufficiently acquainted with the OPCW work during this transitional period. The OPCW activities will therefore be carried on in the traditionally most effective way and challenges will be addressed with a participatory approach. However, the real challenge for me will be to learn Dutch.
3. What are your own thoughts at this stage on how to bring the remaining States not Party into the CWC?
Universality is one of the primary objectives of the CWC regime. I believe we should first acknowledge that having 188 State Parties has already been a major success. The adherence of the remaining seven countries will not be easy. But this should, in no way, prevent us from devoting our time and energy for increased contacts with the concerned States. We should raise awareness about the incentives provided by the Convention and the obsolete character of chemical weapons. We should encourage them to de-link the issue from other regional or international problems. The use of chemical weapons has become morally unacceptable from a humanitarian point of view and meaningless from a military perspective.
4. When you presented your candidacy to the Executive Council for Director-General you were the only candidate to mention public diplomacy as a priority, saying that more could be done in this area with the support of States Parties. What are some of your ideas for increasing the OPCW’s public profile?
The reason I have put emphasis on a more active public diplomacy for the OPCW is twofold. Firstly, further publicizing the achievements of the OPCW would be rendering justice to those who contributed to them. We should pay tribute to all stakeholders who have taken an active part in the conclusion and implementation of the CWC. Secondly, the CWC has been a unique arms control and disarmament regime in that it has banned a whole category of WMDs with a stringent verification mechanism. Hence, raising awareness about this success story could help engender a greater confidence in multilateralism in general, and an enhanced recognition of disarmament as an important instrument in the promotion of peace and security in particular. It may serve as a source of inspiration for future arms control and disarmament regimes. Regarding public diplomacy methods, visits by senior officials, opinion leaders, academics, chemical industry, media representatives, students etc to the OPCW would be very useful. Civil society, including the newly founded coalition of NGOs, can play a significant role in this area. We may use networking tools like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. I intend to seek the views and suggestions of the TS officials and colleagues from States Parties on additional low cost means of communication with the public.
5. Completing the destruction of all chemical weapons stockpiles by the April 2012 deadline is obviously an urgent challenge. Will you view it as a failure of the CWC if the deadline is not reached?
Complete destruction of all chemical weapons stockpiles by possessor states is a primary objective of the Convention. During my visits to the United States and the Russian Federation, I was impressed by their determination to fulfil their obligations as well as the dedication and professional skills of those who run the demilitarization programs. These are indeed costly, labour-intensive and hazardous activities. Tremendous financial, human and material resources have been allocated. We must maintain our efforts until every single chemical weapon is destroyed. We don’t know yet the exact level of destruction to be reached by April 2012. It will certainly be significant. If however the process cannot be completed, this will be due, I am convinced, to technical reasons. I am encouraged to see that consultations on this issue have already been underway under the leadership of the Chairman of the Executive Council. Our focus must be to keep the momentum, to highlight the unprecedented success of the CWC regime, and to preserve its credibility.
6. Following the April 2012 deadline, to what extent do you expect to see a ‘verification shift’ from military to industrial inspections, and in particular to Other Chemical Production Facilities (OCPFs)?
Once destruction is completed, verification activities will have to focus increasingly on industry inspections. Here, I see certain potential challenges. An appropriate methodology for the selection of OCPFs has to be established. Site selection methodology is still being discussed, but I have no doubt that a common understanding on this issue will be reached. My priority will be to make sure that the Technical Secretariat is capable of fulfilling the tasks entrusted to it by the States Parties. In view of fast-changing scientific and technological developments in the chemical industry, it is crucial that the verification regime remains flexible to meet emerging challenges. Close cooperation with the chemical industry is necessary. On the other hand, the whole system of verification is based upon national declarations. Timely and accurate submission of declarations in accordance with the Convention is essential for effective verification. I shall encourage States Parties to seek the support of the Secretariat to improve the situation in this area.
7. In view of the fast-changing scientific and technological developments in the chemical industry, how might the role and stature of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) be strengthened to enable the OPCW to meet the evolving challenges to its industrial inspections regime?
The Scientific and Advisory Board is comprised of eminent experts from States Parties. Their recommendations will be increasingly important in view of scientific and technological developments. We must ensure that the SAB contributions be duly taken into account in the Executive Council proceedings. Their input, for instance, on the selection methodology of the OCPFs might prove useful. Furthermore, the method of tasking working groups on specific issues could also be applied to a greater extent.
8. Finally, as the next Director-General what insights can you offer regarding your personal leadership style and how you will manage the staff of the Technical Secretariat?
The Secretariat staff is composed of people from 85 States Parties. I recognize the challenge to ensure a harmonious working environment though I have some experience in this regard. My goal will be to enhance the sense of ownership among the staff. To that effect, they must be assured that their voices will be adequately heard at the highest level. I shall encourage my colleagues to share their views on OPCW activities. I have read some publications on different management styles over the past months. Combining theory and my past experience, I have decided to employ an inclusive, participatory approach.