Organisation for the Prohibition
of Chemical Weapons Holds Asia Meeting in New Delhi, 1st - 3rd July, 2025
·
The
23rd Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties in Asia,
organised by the OPCW and hosted by National Authority Chemical Weapons
Convention (NACWC) India, opened on 1st July at Vanijya Bhawan
· The meeting was attended by 38 delegates from 24 States Parties (countries) from the Asia region including Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Cambodia, Iraq, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives, Philippines, Oman, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam along with officials from the OPCW and the United Nations Regional
[ABS News Service/04.07.2025]
The
Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) came into force in 1997, the Organisation for
the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is the implementing body for the Chemical
Weapons Convention, with its 193 Member States, it oversees the global endeavour
to permanently and verifiably eliminate chemical weapons. The OPCW was awarded the
2013 Nobel Peace Prize for its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons.
India
is an original signatory to the Convention. The National Authority Chemical Weapons
Convention (NACWC) is the national authority responsible for implementing the Convention
in India. In 2024, NACWC successfully mentored the Kenya National Authority under
the OPCW Mentorship/ Partnership Programme to strengthen its implementation capacity.
The
Indian Chemical Council (ICC), India’s oldest Chemical Industry Association works
closely with the NACWC for reaching out to industry. ICC brought laurels for India
as it was awarded the OPCW-The Hague Award 2024, as a co-recipient, for its role
in promoting chemical safety, compliance with the Convention, and enhancing industry-wide
security practices in India. This is the first time globally, that a chemical industry
body was honoured with this award. The ‘OPCW-The Hague Award’ recognizes individuals
and organizations that play a significant role in advancing the goals of the Chemical
Weapons Convention.
Regional
Meetings of National Authorities are organised by OPCW annually to support implementation
of the Convention through capacity building of National Authorities. This annual
meeting provides an opportunity to exchange experiences, information and best practices
for CWC implementation, and also provides a platform to present and discuss issues
and solutions for complying with obligations under the Convention that are of particular
importance to the National Authorities regionally. This interaction fosters bilateral
and regional cooperation and bolster networks among National Authorities.
The
23rd Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties in Asia, organised
by the OPCW and hosted by National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC)
India, opened on 1st July at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi in the presence of senior
officials from the OPCW, international delegates from National Authorities across
Asia, senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India and
the NACWC, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India.
The
meeting was attended by 38 delegates from 24 States Parties (countries) from the
Asia region including Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Cambodia, Iraq, India,
Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives,
Philippines, Oman, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United
Arab Emirates and Vietnam along with officials from the OPCW and the United Nations
Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD).
During
this Regional Meeting, the delegates shared their experiences, discussed national
implementation challenges, best practices, and opportunities for further cooperation.
The sessions covered discussions on the legislative frameworks, chemical safety
and security, role stakeholders including the chemical industry and the use of Artificial
Intelligence. The OPCW provided important updates on synergies between United Nations
Security Council Resolution 1540 and the CWC as well as discussions on future Mentorship
Partnership Programmes.
The
3 days Regional Meeting is expected to strengthen regional cooperation between Asian
countries in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention.