Ambassador Fernando Arias, Director-General of the OPCW, and H.E. Mr Nasser Bourita, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates
THE HAGUE, Netherlands—8 November 2024— The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias, held meetings with Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, H.E. Mr. Nasser Bourita, and the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, H.E. Mr Abdellatif Miraoui, on the sidelines of the first-ever Global Conference on the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Advancing the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which took place from 22 to 24 October in Rabat, Morocco.
Director-General Arias and Minister Bourita discussed the evolving global security landscape, focusing on key issues related to the threat of use of chemical weapons such as the situations in Syria and Ukraine. Director-General Arias briefed the Minister on OPCW’s work priorities for the upcoming years and underlined that achieving universality of the Convention and preventing the re-emergence of chemical weapons remain areas of focus for the Organisation. The two high-level officials underlined that today’s rapidly evolving science and technology continues to have a significant impact on the effecte implementation of the Convention. The Director-General highlighted the crucial role of the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology (ChemTech Centre) in enhancing the Organisation’s capabilities to monitor developments in science and technology, enhance verification mechanisms and research.
In this relation, both Minister Bourita and Director-General Arias recognised the importance of the Global Conference on the Role of AI in Advancing the Implementation of the CWC.
“Hosting the first-ever Global Conference on Artificial Intelligence and the Chemical Weapons Convention reflects the forward-looking vision that Morocco and the OPCW share in addressing the challenges and opportunities AI presents for the CWC and its States Parties,” Minister Bourita said.
He added that Morocco remains convinced that an effective South-South, North-South, and Triangular cooperation will help building AI capacities in developing countries and reduce the digital disparities.
“By uniting our efforts, sharing knowledge, and building partnerships, we can turn AI into a powerful tool for global peace and security. It is our duty to ensure that AI serves as a catalyst for a safer world, where peace and security are preserved for future generations,” Minister Bourita concluded.
Ambassador Fernando Arias, Director-General of the OPCW, and H.E. Mr Nasser Bourita, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates
Director-General Arias underlined that such events serve as key forums for experts from different fields to discuss how emerging technologies, such as AI, can be used to advance the implementation of the Convention.
“I wish to thank the Kingdom of Morocco for co-organising and hosting this important event. Our goal for the upcoming days is to explore AI’s benefits and risks in advancing chemical non-proliferation, shaping a proactive OPCW response. The outcomes of this event will guide the Organisation and inform State Parties’ actions,” the Director-General said.
He further noted that AI is not merely a technological advance but a transformative force that necessitates OPCW’s adaptation to evolving threats posed by chemical weapons.
Mr Abdellatif Miraoui, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation for the Kingdom of Morocco, and Ambassador Fernando Arias, Director-General of the OPCW
During his visit, Director-General Arias also held a meeting with Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation. The two high-level officials discussed collaboration opportunities between the OPCW and Morocco in scientific research and developments related to the Convention’s implementation.
Background
The first-ever Global Conference on the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Advancing the Implementation of the CWC took place in Rabat, Morocco, from 22 to 24 October 2024. The event was organised by the OPCW and the Kingdom of Morocco with financial support from OPCW Member States, including China, France, Germany, Republic of Korea, Qatar, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The Conference was attended by 200 experts, including policymakers, scientific experts, and industry leaders. The event was inaugurated by Minister Bourita and Director-General Arias.
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.
In 2023, the OPCW verified that all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the 193 States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997 — totalling 72,304 metric tonnes of chemical agents — have been irreversibly destroyed under the OPCW’s strict verification regime.
For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.