OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü (left), in a working meeting with the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado. Photo: Marcos Vinicius Bessa/AIG-MRE via Flickr
The OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, visited Brazil on 14 and 15 May.
In Brasilia, the capital city, the Director-General met with the Minister of External Relations, Mr Luiz Alberto Figueiredo; with the Minister of Defence, Mr Celso Amorim; and with the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Clelio Campolina Diniz.
He briefed them on the OPCW’s activities in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), including the ongoing mission to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons programme and progress toward the elimination of chemical stockpiles globally. The Director-General commended Brazil for its long history of activism in chemical disarmament and active support to the OPCW and was assured of Brazil’s continued commitment and support. He encouraged the Brazilian authorities to support the goal of full universality of the Convention.
The Director-General also met with the Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs in the External Relations Ministry, H.E. Carlos Antonio da Rocha Paranhos, and addressed an academic event at the University of Brasilia organised by the Pandiá Calógeras Institute. In his remarks to the event, he elaborated on the importance of effective multilateralism to ensure global peace and security, citing the Chemical Weapons Convention and work of the OPCW as uniquely successful examples.
In Sao Paolo, the Director-General met with Dr Fernando Figueiredo, the ABIQUIM Executive President, and spoke to a team of ABIQUIM experts [PDF – 71 KB]. He highlighted the critical role of chemical industry as a partner of the OPCW in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the important contribution of ABIQUIM in the final negotiations to conclude the Convention in 1992.