News

At the High Level Meeting "Fifteen years of Chemical Weapons Convention" in New York, Lithuania called for adaptation of the Organisation on Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as stockpiles of chemical weapons diminish and new threats emerge. It also expressed commitment to continue raising awareness on the issue of sea-dumped chemical weapons.

STATEMENT

AT THE HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON “FIFTEEN YEARS OF THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION:

CELEBRATING SUCCESS. COMMITTING TO THE FUTURE”

New York, 1 October 2012

Mr. Chairman,

Lithuania would like to associate itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union and would like to add a few remarks on a national capacity.

First, let me thank the Director-General of the OPCW Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü for convening this event. The entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention on 29 April 1997 marked the beginning of the success story. The CWC is now a cornerstone of the multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation regime ratified by 188 States Parties that represent about 98% of the global population and landmass, as well as 98% of the chemical industry. It is unique, since it bans completely and without exception an entire category of weapons of mass destruction and requires the destruction of all chemical weapons under international verification. The recent admission by Syria that it has a stockpile of chemical weapons shows that the threat of chemical weapons is still very real, therefore we call on all States not Party to ratify or accede to the Convention without further delay.

The Convention also established the OPCW, which is great example of an effective and robust disarmament mechanism. Destruction of declared stockpiles should remain a priority for the Organisation and should be systematically verified honouring the final extended deadlines. As stockpiles of chemical weapons diminish and new threats emerge, the Organization will have to continue adapting in order to remain relevant. In particular, it will have to focus on preventing re-emergence of chemical weapons, while maintaining the capacity to respond to crises, in order to sustain the underlying vision of the Convention – a chemical weapon free world. In this regard, Lithuania welcomes the work of the Open-Ended Working Group preparing the Third Review Conference, which should discuss, inter alia, all proposals made for the OPCW future priorities.

Furthermore, The States Parties should put in place national legislation in order to implement the Convention nationally; accordingly Lithuania welcomes the Organization’s Technical Secretariat’s efforts to find new ways of enhancing national implementation. In addition, all states should maintain robust transfer control systems and ensure effective and efficient industry controls.

Mr. Chairman,

Dumping of the Chemical Weapons at Sea has been carried out around the globe until about early 1970, with considerable amounts abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean, North and Baltic Seas. Exploitation of natural resources and other human activities in combination with natural processes pose certain risks to security of environment in regions with reported dumping of chemical weapons.

The knowledge and understanding about the possible threats resulting from sea-dumped chemical weapons have been increasing over the last years. Lithuania remains committed to raising awareness on this issue. Together with other governments and civil society we have engaged in series of activities to promote international debate on this issue in the framework of the UN, OPCW, as well as in other fora.

In 2010, Lithuania sponsored the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 65/149 “Cooperative Measures to Assess and Increase Awareness of environmental effects related to waste originating from chemical munitions dumped at sea”. The Resolution invites Member States and international and regional organizations to keep this issue under observation, to cooperate and voluntarily share relevant information. It also invites the UN Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States and relevant organizations on issues relating, inter alia, possible modalities for international cooperation to assess and increase awareness of this issue.

In this respect, Lithuania, together with Poland, will hold the International Workshop in Gdynia, Poland, on 5 November 2012. The overall goal of the workshop is to discuss the recent developments with regard to past dumping of chemical weapons, to promote broader international engagement related to mitigation of threats related to such dumping, as well as to encourage the exchange of experience on safe disposal techniques.

Thank you.