The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama, H.E. Javier Eduardo Martínez-Acha Vásquez, on 7 October 2025 at the OPCW's Headquarters in The Hague. The Minister was accompanied by Panama's Minister of Employment and Social Development, and other members of his delegation.
During their meeting the two officials discussed the OPCW's critical follow-up work in Syria's chemical disarmament process, with the Organisation's ongoing activities aimed at supporting the country in fulfilling its obligations to completely eliminate its chemical weapons programme inherited from the former government. They also discussed the Organisation's fundamental role in chemical security and technical cooperation, as well as the opportunities and challenges related to the responsible use of artificial intelligence.
Director-General Arias emphasised the importance of international cooperation to address emerging threats and acknowledged Panama's active engagement in global security efforts.
Foreign Minister Martínez-Acha remarked: "As a member of the UN Security Council, Panama is firmly committed to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and to ensuring swift, coordinated international responses to chemical terrorism threats. Panama is committed to advancing OPCW initiatives in the GRULAC region, building collective capacity for training, prevention, and response to chemical security challenges."
Director-General Arias stated: "As the international security environment grows more complex, reinforcing cooperation among States Parties remains vital to upholding the Chemical Weapons Convention. Our dialogue with Panama reflects the shared commitment to addressing both traditional disarmament challenges and emerging threats. Regional cooperation, is essential to ensuring that all nations have the capacity to prevent and respond to chemical threats."
Background
Panama signed the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1993, ratifying it in 1998, and has been an active member of the Organisation. Panama is a member of the Executive Council, the governing body of the Organisation.
As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Convention's entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.
In 2023, the OPCW verified that all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the 193 States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997 - totalling 72,304 metric tonnes of chemical agents - have been irreversibly destroyed under the OPCW's strict verification regime.
For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.
