THE HAGUE, Netherlands—18 May 2023—The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias, met with the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, H.E. Mr Kirill Lysogorsky, on the sidelines of the Fifth Review Conference (RC-5).
The high-level discussion focused on the important role of the Fifth Review Conference for the successful implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. RC-5, which is taking place from 15 to 19 May in The Hague, provides Member States with the opportunity to evaluate the operation of the Convention, set priorities for the Organisation for the upcoming years and ensure that it has adequate resources to deliver on all its mandates.
“Each review conference presents new opportunities for reinforcing the global norm against chemical weapons and provide strategic guidance to the Organisation with a long-term perspective,” the Director-General said. “Preventing re-emergence of chemical weapons as well as addressing challenges and opportunities in chemical disarmament and non-proliferation arising from rapid advances in science and technology are some of the topics addressed during RC-5.”
“Russia intends to continue playing a very active role in the Organisation’s activities in order to achieve the main purpose of the CWC: to build a world free from all chemical arsenals and to prevent the re-emergence of chemical weapons,” the Deputy Minister stated.
Background
The Russian Federation has been an active member of the OPCW since the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force in 1997. The Russian Federation is a member of the Executive Council, the OPCW’s executive organ, which is responsible for promoting the effective implementation of and compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention as well as supervising the activities of the Organisation’s Technical Secretariat.
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 99% of all declared chemical weapon stockpiles have been destroyed under OPCW verification. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.
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