DYB2011-Part-II-web

United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 2011: Part II
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other international bodies, 36 as well as 29 non-governmental organizations37 were also in attendance. The Conference elected Paul Arkwright (United
Kingdom) as its Chairperson. The Conference also elected representatives of
10 States parties38 as Vice-Chairpersons of the Conference, as well as Allan
Wagner (Peru) as Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole.
The Secretary-General, in his message to the Conference39 delivered by
the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, underscored
the importance of the CWC as a fundamental pillar of international peace,
security and disarmament and non-proliferation. He welcomed the fact that
over 70 per cent of declared chemical weapons had been verifiably destroyed
and expressed his confidence that States parties would identify a constructive
and forward-looking solution to address the deadlines for the destruction of all
chemical weapons stockpiles, which will not be met by two possessor States
as foreseen in 2012. The Secretary-General also urged the remaining eight
non-States parties40 to accede to the Convention at the earliest possible time.
In his opening statement, 41 the Director-General of the Organisation
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) provided an overview of
36 International Committee of the Red Cross, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, League of
Arab States and International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
37 Accademia delle Scienze, American University in Cairo, Amman Center for Peace and
Development, Asabe Shehu Yarádua Foundation, Bradford Non-Lethal Weapons Research
Project, Brazilian Chemical Industry Association, Chemical Weapons Working Group,
Environmental Protection and Population Care Association, Global Green USA, Green
Cross Netherlands, Green Cross Russia, Green Cross Switzerland, Halabja Chemical
Victims Society, Indian Chemical Council, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses,
Institute for Security Studies, International Centre for Health Interventions and Research
in Africa, International Council of Chemical Associations, Kenyatta University, Kurdocide
Watch, Organization for Defending Victims of Chemical Weapons, Pugwash Conferences
on Science and World Affairs, Society for Chemical Weapons Victims Support, Fars
Province Society for Defending the Right of Veterans and Chemical Weapons Victims,
Society for the Study of Peace and Conflict, South Asian Strategic Stability Institute,
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, University of Science and Technology
of Oran (Department of Chemistry) and Verification Research, Training and Information
Centre.
38 Algeria, Belgium, Cuba, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Russian Federation, Sudan,
Ukraine, United States of America and Uruguay.
39 Statement of Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General, to the Sixteenth Session of
the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, delivered by
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, The
Hague, 28 November 2011. Available from http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/
sgsm13974.doc.htm (accessed 12 April 2012).
40 Angola, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, Somalia, South Sudan, Syrian
Arab Republic, Israel (signatory State) and Myanmar (signatory State).
41 Opening statement by the OPCW Director-General to the Conference of the States Parties
at its Sixteenth Session (C-16/DG.18), The Hague, 28 November 2011. Available from
http://www.opcw.org/index.php?eID=dam_frontend_push&docID=15203 (accessed
12 April 2012).