In an official visit to Washington, D.C., the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias, met with various U.S. officials to address current international security and prevent the re-emergence of chemical weapons.
Under Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, and Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Mallory Stewart, were on hand to meet with Arias, among other government officials. Together, they discussed the need to uphold the global norm against chemical weapons, and the specifics of implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention’s (CWC) verification regime.
Also on the agenda was a new OPCW Center for Chemistry and Technology currently under construction.
“The ChemTech Centre, which will open in 2023, will become an essential tool for the OPCW and its Member States to strengthen capacity to better implement the CWC,” Arias said. “The United States has provided generous financial support to the Centre, which demonstrates its commitment to promoting and defending the global norm against chemical weapons.”
The United States has been an active member of the OPCW since the Chemical Weapons Convention kicked off in 1997. The OPCW implements and enforces that convention to eliminate chemical weapons worldwide, through its 193 Member States. During this latest meeting, the U.S. government emphasized that its efforts to finalize the destruction of its chemical stockpile are on track for completion in 2023.
Over 99 percent of declared chemical weapon stockpiles have been destroyed under OPCW verification.
“Thank you for your steady and productive leadership of the OPCW during these eventful times,” Jenkins said of Arias. “The United States commends the outstanding work, dedication, and professionalism of the OPCW Technical Secretariat.”
During his stay, the Director-General also discussed ways to strengthen the existing convention with Stewart and met with other senior officials from the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the Department of Commerce.