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Conference on Disarmament Statement by Ambassador ORGANISATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS Please check against delivery CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR AHMET ÜZÜMCÜ DIRECTOR-GENERAL ORGANISATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS GENEVA 5 September 2017 Mr. President, Mr Secretary General, Please accept my felicitations on your assumption of the Presidency of the Conference on Disarmament. The Conference is assured of able leadership as you bring to this position a wealth of knowledge, experience and diplomatic skills. I wish you every success. I am delighted and indeed honoured to address the CD. This forum embodies the spirit of an era of resolve to banish war in favour of peace – peace based on a durable foundation of international cooperation, development and the rejection of the tools of war that are regarded as illegitimate. The twentieth century witnessed the trauma of two world wars within a span of a few decades that brought ruin on a scale never seen before in human history. Technology magnified the destructive power of weapons in ways not thought possible. These harrowing experiences united the entire world community in an aspiration to live together in harmony. A community of nations traumatised by extreme and pervasive violence found it possible to reignite the lost glow and warmth of shared values and norms as a basis for inter-state relations. Ironically, just as people were constructing a new beginning, the nuclear age was dawning. The destruction seen as a result of years of warfare could now happen in a matter of minutes. A well-thought out and systematic pursuit of disarmament eventually took shape of which the CD is a salient manifestation. It is rightly recognised as the "sole multilateral disarmament negotiating forum" of the international community. My association with this body before I took up my responsibilities as the Director- General of the OPCW in 2010 brings back fond memories. Despite the difficulties and the somewhat adverse light in which the CD currently finds itself, this is a forum unique in its character, collegial in its atmosphere and indispensable in its purpose. It has an immense potential and unique expertise as the negotiation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) testifies. That example alone can inspire the Conference to seek out the common ground necessary for disarmament initiatives to fructify. This product of the CD is an extraordinary treaty in more than one respect. 2 In its essentials, it is an international legal instrument that comprehensively prohibits chemical weapons. Yet such familiar descriptions do not fully account for the ground- breaking advance the Convention has made not only in the field of disarmament but also in the promotion of humanitarian values. A prohibition on the use of excessive or indiscriminate force and stipulations to protect civilians in times of armed conflict are of longstanding validity and importance. These are fundamental ethical and moral principles of universal appeal. These also inform every effort expended against weapons of mass destruction and their proliferation. Once codified in international treaties, the observance of these norms is no longer a mere moral necessity but a binding legal obligation. In the CWC, the Conference on Disarmament has the distinction of having codified the customary rules against the use of poison as a method of warfare into a comprehensive and verifiable legal prohibition – a regime that has developed and adapted with time and effort and is now accepted by nearly every country in the world. ……………………………………………. This year we are commemorating two decades of successful operation of this treaty and the work of its implementing body the OPCW. The nature of global developments makes it necessary that our deserved sense of fulfilment be accompanied by a renewal of resolve, for there remains business that is unfinished and challenges that are serious. In these twenty years, our goal of completely eliminating an entire category of weapons of mass destruction has been pursued steadily. Not many around the world were aware of the existence of the OPCW until the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Organisation. This honour constitutes a recognition that the norm against chemical weapons and their use has been strengthened and the goals of peace and security well served. Today, any allegation of use of chemical weapons evokes prompt concern and any confirmation brings about immediate condemnation. OPCW’s work has involved a multiplicity of tasks. The results are historically unprecedented in the context of international efforts to verifiably eliminate weapons of mass destruction. The Organisation has conducted extensive verification of destruction of chemical weapons as well as thousands of inspections in the chemical industry. Importantly, it has also established good practices in several areas relevant to preventing the re- emergence of chemical weapons. These include the monitoring of transfers, 3 encouraging and facilitating the joining of the Convention by states, assistance and protection against chemical weapons, engaging the global public, undertaking tasks in international cooperation, capacity building, and knowledge sharing, and promoting the peaceful uses of chemistry. 96% of all declared stockpiles of chemical weapons have been successfully destroyed. China and Japan continue to make good progress in eradicating the legacy of chemical weapons abandoned by Japan on the territory of China. Nearly 3500 industry inspections have been conducted globally and thousands of beneficiaries of international cooperation programmes from across the world are contributing to the implementation of the Convention in their countries as well as for the betterment of their societies. The Convention was negotiated as a permanent ban on chemical weapons. Eliminating declared stockpiles and verification activities in the chemical industry are key tasks. So is international cooperation for peaceful activities. But these programmes do not define the Convention. The CWC is a prohibition of enduring validity. The tasks undergo change over time. But the global ban remains integral. At this juncture, our single most important preoccupation is crafting a unified vision that will ensure lasting value of the norm and its protection well into the future. With the complete elimination of declared arsenals within sight, a part of our work that has all these years taken up the major share of our attention and resources will conclude. The prohibition on chemical weapons will however remain as valid as ever. And an effective, well-resourced Organisation will continue to be essential. First, its defining mission will become the prevention of re-emergence of chemical weapons. And second, a robust and efficient Organisation will ensure that effective mechanisms to promote the norm and to enforce the prohibition remain available to the international community. …………………………….. The objective of prevention is made more complex by the continuing advances in science and technology as well as new security challenges. Instead of sequential thinking, we need to work simultaneously on multiple fronts. While developments in science and technology herald a better future they will also inevitably impact the Convention’s verification regime. Advances in chemistry, chemical technology and engineering are rapidly transforming the global chemical industry. 4 This makes it necessary for us to have the ability to detect new chemicals and to determine if they are relevant to the Convention. The growing interaction between biology and chemistry is also creating the potential for the production of dangerous chemicals through new techniques and methods. We need to acquire a better understanding of such developments and to follow them closely. This is a function that is admirably performed by the OPCW Scientific Advisory Board. Comprising eminent experts from 25 States Parties, the Board deliberates on all relevant scientific and technological developments and regularly issues its reports and recommendations advising in particular on monitoring progress on science, evaluating its impact for the Convention and how the Secretariat can prepare itself for future verification tasks. At the same time, progress in science also offers opportunities for improving verification and protection measures. The effective use of new scientific methods and procedures promises the ability to detect the presence of chemical warfare agents through improved sample collection and analysis. Sampling and analysis have been crucial in our recent missions to determine the validity of allegations of use of chemical weapons. One of our recent initiatives pertains to upgrading the OPCW Chemical Laboratory to a Center for Chemistry and Technology. We therefore hope to augment OPCW’s Science and Technology capabilities to fully address the threat of chemical weapons, as well as to support capacity building in our States Parties. Under this initiative, the OPCW Laboratory will be expanded and bolstered with additional capabilities. It is my hope that States Parties and other partners will fully support this venture as it is part of a package of measures that I consider important for consolidating the role of the Organisation in international security. In a related move, this year, I established a Temporary Working Group of the Scientific Advisory Board to conduct an in-depth review of the methods and technologies used in our investigative work. This Group will identify the capabilities, skill sets and
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