Indonesian Foreign Minister visits OPCW headquarters, discusses chemical weapons convention implementation

Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi recently visited the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to meet with OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü and discuss the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Üzümcü first briefed the minister on the destruction of declared chemical weapons stockpiles by possessor states and discussed the ongoing elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons program. The Director-General also provided an update into the investigation of allegations that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons on its own people in an attack in southern Idlib, Syria in April.

Marsudi reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to the implementation of the chemical weapons convention and that it supports OPCW’s mission and activities. The minister stated that Indonesia looked forward to strengthening capacity building with the OPCW while enhancing Indonesian-based laboratories in pursuit of effective chemical weapons convention implementation.

Indonesia is now in the process of planning a tabletop exercise with the OPCW in Bali later this month.

OPCW serves as the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Entered into force in 1997, the convention represents the most-successful disarmament treaty in history targeting an entire class of weapons. To date, approximately 95 percent of all chemical weapons stockpiles declares by OPCW’s 192 member states have been destroyed under the organization’s verification.