President of Bolivia visits OPCW headquarters, discusses weapons nonproliferation

The President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, H.E. Evo Morales recently visited the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, Netherlands, to discuss various issues related to the implementation of provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

During the meeting, Morales, along with OPCW’s Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü, discussed progress and challenges related to the implementation of the convention, including the ongoing activities in Syria and measures to prevent the use of chemical weapons by non-state actors.

Morales was then briefed on the organization’s nonproliferation verification practices, international cooperation, and assistance programs that support the ability of state parties to implement the CWC in an effective manner.

Morales was accompanied by Bolivia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Defense, Minister of Justice, Minister of the Presidency, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador to the United Nations, and Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The CWC is a global arms control treaty aimed at stopping the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors.

Entered into force in 1997, the convention is administered by the OPCW and has 192 state parties. To date, 94 percent of all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by possessor states have been destroyed under OPCW verification.