Excellencies,
Dear participants,
I warmly welcome you all to the Twenty-Fifth Annual Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention. I understand that we have over 200 participants from across the five geographical regions. The high turnout demonstrates the States Parties’ ongoing commitment to the full implementation of the Convention at the national level, in the pursuit of a world free of chemical weapons.
This is reassuring in today’s difficult international security environment, where the disarmament architecture is under constant pressure. Giving full effect to the Convention domestically is the best way to preserve and strengthen the norm against chemical weapons. Today’s meeting offers you the opportunity to share your knowledge and best practices on this and other vital issues.
Distinguished participants,
2023 has been a year of special highlights for the Organisation. In May we inaugurated the Centre for Chemistry and Technology (CCT) in the presence of His Majesty Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands. A few days later the States Parties gathered in The Hague for the Fifth Review Conference. This was a comprehensive and inclusive review process that provided guidance and a sound basis for our future work.
On 7 July, in the United States, the last remaining declared chemical weapons were verified as destroyed. This was the end of a process in several Member States that ended with the destruction of more than 72,000 metric tonnes of the most poisonous and dangerous chemicals. The conclusion of the process of destroying declared stockpiles is an incontestable success for multilateralism, and a historic moment for the international community.
The destruction has been one of the main targets of the Organisation for the last 26 years. Once we have reached this target the task is by far not over because we will continue addressing existing as well as new and emerging challenges. Preventing the resurgence of chemical weapons, particularly in the hands of non-State actors using toxic chemicals as weapons, must remain our priority. Robust national implementing legislation and its enforcement, along with effective chemical security measures, are key to addressing this threat. Accordingly, this year’s meeting of National Authorities will, among other topics, focus on preventing non-State actors from acquiring chemical weapons.
Advancements in science and technology is another area that demands constant attention by the OPCW. Such progress offers advantages, such as improvements to verification techniques. Artificial intelligence, for instance, will generate immense benefits, and may, specifically, be used to predict the development of new toxic chemicals and their production methods. But in the wrong hands AI could also be used to design, develop, and produce new chemical warfare agents that could circumvent and undermine the OPCW’s verification regime. We must now intensify our efforts, to ensure that the Organisation’s activities are responding to these opportunities, while addressing the challenges presented by scientific and technological advances.
The Centre for Chemistry and Technology will enable the OPCW to benefit from new developments, always monitoring and mitigating their potential negative impacts, on the implementation of the Convention. The Centre is already bolstering the operational capabilities of the Secretariat and strengthening the capacity of the States Parties, through our training programmes and related activities. For the best development of the CCT, we will remain in contact with you and other stakeholders to make sure that the different activities are specifically targeted to States Parties requirements.
Distinguished participants,
Within the new phase of the OPCW’s work, national implementing legislation will remain fundamental to ensuring the Convention’s contribution to peace and security. To date, 128 of 193 States Parties have adopted legislation that comprehensively implements their obligations. This is six more States Parties than in 2022. These figures demonstrate a considerable increase in the number of States Parties with comprehensive implementing legislation.
At the same time, 33 States Parties have legislation covering only some of the initial measures, and 32 do not have, or have not reported, any implementing legislation at all. The Secretariat assists these States Parties in advancing their legislation. I note that several have already draft bills pending approval before their government or parliamentary bodies. National Authorities are key to driving these processes, and we encourage you to develop comprehensive strategies to promote the necessary measures.
The national programmes need to be constantly updated to prioritise targets and actions for implementing the Convention. To this end, the Secretariat is continuing its consultations with States Parties on the National Implementation Framework (NIF). This initiative aims to support National Authorities in developing efficient medium-term action plans. The ownership of this process by States Parties should translate into better implementation outcomes. I encourage States Parties to redouble your efforts to raise awareness among relevant national stakeholders to conduct needs and risks assessments and to develop roadmaps towards strengthening national capacities.
Distinguished participants,
Effectively tackling the wide range of responsibilities faced by all National Authorities is a multifaceted task. The rapid growth in the size and complexity of the global chemical industry, as well as in international trade volumes, means that oversight on toxic chemicals has never been more important. The role of customs authorities is vital, and during this meeting we will hear from experts and States Parties on current needs in this area.
Closer cooperation with various stakeholders is now more relevant than ever. A good example was the Annual Meeting of the Representatives of the Chemical Industry and National Authorities held in Qatar this October. I attended this event and was encouraged by the active deliberations among the participants, which led to concrete recommendations. This kind of engagement supports the OPCW and States Parties to combat threats and face risks from non-State actors.
Distinguished participants,
The Secretariat is committed to being proactive and focused, in order to anticipate emerging safety and security challenges and find innovative solutions to them. We will also continue to carefully listen to and seek feedback from States Parties. I encourage you to engage actively in deliberations at this meeting, and to focus on actionable insights and recommendations. Sharing information and knowledge adds value to our work and helps propel implementation of the Convention at all levels.
I thank you and wish you a productive meeting.