Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Discusses Enhanced Cooperation Prospects
Abu Dhabi, In a bid to strengthen international partnerships with regional and global organizations, the Executive Office for Control and Non-Proliferation welcomed His Excellency Fernando Arias, Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, during the period from September 13 to 14, 2023.
This visit, deemed the first of its kind in the region, comes as part of the close cooperation between the state and the organization in implementing the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention. It reflects the state's trust in the organization's mission to work toward a world free from chemical weapons.
During the visit, discussions were held to explore ways to enhance existing and future bilateral cooperation between the organization and relevant parties involved in the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. This underlines the commitment of the United Arab Emirates to implementing the convention's provisions, especially in the realm of chemical security and safety, capacity-building, and support for the organization's goals to eradicate and combat chemical weapons and terrorism. It also aligns with the state's efforts to combat the use, production, and proliferation of chemical weapons, in addition to other national and international initiatives to address chemical pollution challenges.
Throughout his visit, the Director-General of the Organization held official meetings with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Authority for Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management, Vertiglobe, the strategic partnership between ADNOC and OCI Global, and the regional secretariat of the European Centre of Excellence for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear matters for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. At the Ministry of the Interior, he met with Al Khaleeji, the Civil Defense Academy affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior, the Executive Office for Control and Non-Proliferation (the national committee representing the state in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons), and the General Directorate of Civil Defense in the Emirate of Dubai. These meetings focused on the goals of the agreement and various aspects of cooperation, emphasizing a 100% commitment to the removal of declared chemical weapons by the convention's 193 member states. In recognition of these efforts, the organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013.
The delegation visited operational facilities and was briefed on the national capabilities for managing and preparing entities to respond to chemical incidents. They expressed their gratitude for this visit and praised the nation's efforts, capabilities, and national plans for incident response, rehabilitation, and training. These efforts take into account the implementation of international best practices in various relevant areas.
The organization expressed its aspiration for close cooperation and knowledge sharing, especially in regional capacity-building programs, and extended an invitation to visit the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' Chemistry and Technology Center in The Hague, Kingdom of the Netherlands, to address challenges related to peace and security, enhance chemical safety, and promote the peaceful use of chemistry. It also aims to strengthen international cooperation in training and capacity-building.
In response, His Excellency Talal Al-Taniji, Director of the Executive Office for Control and Non-Proliferation, welcomed the valuable visit by the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to the country. He emphasized the pioneering role of the organization and its significant efforts in seeking peaceful solutions to conflicts by eliminating and prohibiting the use of chemical weapons and destroying their stockpiles, which have reached 100% in accordance with the organization's verification system.
Al-Taniji added, "The visit of the head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons reflects the close and ongoing cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and the organization, in line with their commitment to the agreement that the country signed on February 2, 1993, and ratified on February 28, 2000. He highlighted that the United Arab Emirates has enacted the necessary legislation to implement the agreement at the national level to support the achievement of its goals and provisions. In addition, the country has partnered with the organization in organizing workshops and conferences, the most recent of which was the workshop held in February 2023 on chemical safety and security, which was attended by representatives of Asian countries that are members of the organization with the aim of promoting the peaceful uses of chemistry.
It is worth noting that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, with its 193 member states, oversees the global effort to completely eliminate chemical weapons. Since its entry into force in 1997, this convention has become one of the most successful treaties for disarmament and the fight against weapons of mass destruction.