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Statement by Ambassador Rytis Paulauskas introducing the Resolution at the General Assembly Second Committee meeting “Cooperative measures to assess and increase awareness of environmental effects related to waste originating from chemical munitions dumped at sea” on Monday, 20 November 2023.

Mr. Chair,

The disposal of chemical weapons into the sea is a matter of global concern due to its potential to pose significant environmental and health risks. With the increasing use of sea transportation and high levels of economic activity, coupled with natural processes, there are additional complexities in safeguarding the health of ocean and sea environments where these chemical weapons have been discarded. Consequently, this issue transcends mere environmental worries, carrying economic and social implications as well.

Mr. Chair,

The resolution to respond to these challenges (entitled Cooperative measures to assess and increase awareness of environmental effects related to waste originating from chemical munitions dumped at sea) for the first time was tabled in 2010 and it is already the 5^th time that it is being adopted. The renewal of this year contains the encouragement to build upon the discussions held at the Review Conferences of the Chemical Weapons Convention of 2018 and 2023, it also invites the Secretary General to provide a global review of available technical means of minimization of potential environmental effects related to the waste originating from chemical munitions dumped at sea, including through their elimination. And also, importantly, it invites Secretary General to further explore the possibility of establishing a database that could contain relevant and voluntarily shared information on, inter alia, the location of dumping sites, the type, quantity and, to the extent possible, the current condition of chemical munitions, the recorded environmental impact, best practices on risk prevention and response to incidents or accidental encounters and destruction or impact reduction technologies, including by means of data collection and management. Important to note that the implementation of this resolution also contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially Climate Action #13 and Life Below Water #14.

I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to all the delegations for their constructive engagement, which has played a pivotal role in ensuring the continued presence of this issue on the global agenda. Your collaborative efforts have been instrumental in maintaining focus on this matter and fostering meaningful progress.

Thank you.