Deputy Director-General visits Mauritius, Delivers Keynote Address at International Conference on Pure and Applied Chemistry

The Deputy Director-General, Mrs. Grace Asirwatham, delivered a keynote address at the International Conference on Pure and Applied Chemistry 2014 (ICPAC) in Mauritius on 23 June. The conference was inaugurated by the Minister of Tertiary Education, Science, Research and Technology, Dr. Rajeshwar Jeetah.  

In her keynote address on “Working for Security and Prosperity: The OPCW’s Deepening Partnerships with Science”, the Deputy Director-General highlighted that the success of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) has in large part depended on the OPCW’s productive partnerships with scientists and researchers. She added that given the dual-use nature of many of the materials and technologies that are dealt with, the OPCW has been working with scientists around the world to prevent re-emergence of chemical weapons and foster a culture of responsible science, working in the service of durable security.

During her visit, the Deputy Director-General had meetings with Dr. Jeetah and with Mr. Suresh Chundre Seeballuck, Head of the CWC National Authority and Secretary to the Cabinet of the Head of the Civil Service. The discussions focused on the status of implementation of the Convention; progress in the destruction of chemical weapons in Syria; education and outreach activities; universality; and the future direction of the OPCW.  

The Deputy Director-General also delivered a lecture at the University of Mauritius which was attended by students and faculty members.