OPCW Director-General Sabrina Dallafior visited to China from 31 August to 5 September. OPCW Member State representatives travelled to ACW excavation, recovery, and destruction facilities in north-eastern China. The delegation observed first-hand the large-scale operations currently underway with over 150,000 ACW items now recovered and verifiably destroyed.
The Director-General reaffirmed the commitment of the Technical Secretariat to supporting on-going efforts to achieve the full and effective implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in relation to abandoned chemical weapons.
DG Dallafior recognised the significant efforts being made by both China and Japan to address the complex challenges faced in their collective undertaking. "The scale and complexity of addressing abandoned chemical weapons requires sustained commitment and cooperation," said Director-General Dallafior. "Continued collaboration between China and Japan remains essential to advancing the destruction process in a safe, effective, and timely manner and I commend both countries for their ongoing efforts."
During meetings in Beijing with senior Chinese officials, Director-General Dallafior addressed the implementation of the Convention, advances in science and technology, industry verification and progress to ensure a world free of chemical weapons. Discussions underscored the importance of the Chemical Weapons Convention as a cornerstone of the international disarmament and non-proliferation architecture and recognised the OPCW's continued contribution to multilateral dialogue and cooperation.
Background
The Chemical Weapons Convention provides a framework for facilitating destruction of ACWs. It stipulates that the Abandoning State Party is required to provide all necessary financial and technical means, as well as expertise, facilities and other resources, to destroy declared ACWs. The Territorial State Party shall provide an appropriate level of cooperation.
As the implementing organisation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW is mandated to verify the destruction of ACWs as well as providing technical support as required. Following the OPCW Executive Council's approval of a destruction plan and timeline for destruction of these weapons, the OPCW verifies destruction operations through a combination of physical presence during on-site inspections, the use of monitoring and recording equipment and review of relevant documentation.
China has been an active member of OPCW since the CWC entered into force in 1997. China is a member of the OPCW Executive Council, the governing body of the Organisation.
