THE HAGUE, Netherlands – 31 January 2020 – The Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs for Policy, Mr Enrique A. Manalo, met today with the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Mr Fernando Arias at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague.
Mr Manalo and the Director-General discussed a range of issues related to the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as international cooperation. The Undersecretary expressed the Philippines’ support for the OPCW and their motivation regarding their upcoming membership of the OPCW’s Executive Council. He also thanked the OPCW for its capacity-building programmes, in which a number of Filipinos took part, allowing the country to proactively build capacity for responding to potential chemical weapons incidents.
Background
The Philippines have been an active member of the OPCW since the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force in 1997.
As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Convention’s entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.
Over 97% of all chemical weapon stockpiles declared by possessor States have been destroyed under OPCW verification. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.