THE HAGUE, Netherlands—10 December 2024—The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) held the Twenty-Sixth Annual Meeting of National Authorities from 20-22 November at its Headquarters in The Hague. The three-day meeting brought together over 250 participants from 136 countries to strengthen international cooperation in the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
Representatives from National Authorities gathered for the annual meeting in the Ieper Room at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, from 20 – 22 November 2024.
OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Fernando Arias, opened the event emphasising the importance of collective action in advancing the goals of the CWC. He stated: “[Today’s] impressive number of participants reflects the active engagement of States Parties. This is vital for fostering dialogue and collaboration in the ongoing efforts towards the Convention’s full implementation and reaching the targets of our collective task. This is particularly reassuring in today’s challenging international environment, characterised by escalating tensions and a constant pressure on the global security architecture.”
Throughout the meeting, participants have engaged in focused discussions on advancing comprehensive national CWC legislation, enhancing customs capacities, improving chemical security, addressing import/export discrepancies of scheduled chemicals, emerging chemical threats, and mitigating risks posed by non-State actors. The event also underscored the importance of aligning these efforts with relevant international treaty regimes and the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring a coordinated response to evolving global challenges.
Serving as a dynamic platform for communication and collaboration, the Annual Meeting facilitates dialogue between National Authorities and the OPCW Technical Secretariat. It also encourages the exchange of ideas at both bilateral and multilateral levels, strengthens regional networks, and aligns planning for capacity-building initiatives with the needs of Member States.
Representatives from National Authorities gathered for the annual meeting in the Ieper Room at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, from 20 – 22 November 2024.
This year’s meeting included sessions for all regional groups—Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe and Others—providing dedicated opportunities to address region-specific issues. Additionally, bilateral meetings between Member State representatives and OPCW officials took place on key topics, such as legislative support, technical assistance, and capacity development.
Partner organisations, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, and the World Customs Organization, actively contributed to the discussions.
Among its key outcomes, the meeting renewed commitments to strengthen cooperation and enhance engagement between the OPCW Secretariat, Member States, and other stakeholders. These efforts are expected to result in more robust collaboration at all levels.
Background
National Authorities serve as the national focal point for effective liaison with the OPCW and with other States Parties. They are entrusted with coordinating the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention at country level. For that purpose they collaborate with relevant national stakeholders on implementation issues.
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.