Press Releases

U.S. Lauds Libyan, Albanian Efforts to Destroy Chemical Weapons (March 18, 2005)

Javits says United States remains committed to prompt, safe CW destruction

The head of the U.S. delegation to a key meeting in The Hague to review nations’ efforts to destroy chemical weapons says the United States welcomes the ambitious plans of the governments of Libya and Albania to eliminate their stockpiles.

U.S. Ambassador Eric Javits, head of the U.S. delegation to the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said the United States strongly supports both nations in these efforts. Javits, who made his remarks March 15 during the council’s 40th session in the Netherlands, said the examples of Libya and Albania "highlight the importance of universal adherence" to the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

The CWC, which entered into force April 29, 1997, bans the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, and direct or indirect transfer of chemical weapons. It also prohibits the use or preparation for use of chemical weapons and the assistance, encouragement or inducement of anyone else to engage in activities prohibited by the CWC.

In 2004, nine new nations joined the CWC, Javits said, adding, "We hope and expect to build on that record of success in 2005." A State Department fact sheet listing current signatories is available at http://www.state.gov/t/ac/rls/fs/2004/37546.htm.

He said the United States has been pursuing a number of bilateral missions to help countries develop national measures to implement their obligations under the CWC. In mid-March, a U.S. team worked with Caribbean CWC members, Javits said, and another team visited East African nations earlier in the month to assist with drafting legislation, reviewing declaration requirements, and developing national action plans required to meet the Treaty’s Article VII obligations (See the full text of Article VII: http://www.cwc.gov/treaty/articles/art-07_html.)

"Experience shows that carefully prepared working sessions in capitals can be the most effective form of assistance," the official said, while calling for additional bilateral visits. "By sitting down with the various officials involved in a particular member state," Javits said, "we have been able to provide very specific, tailored advice and support, rather than repeating generalities about the importance of Article VII, or, a generic summary of the relevant treaty obligations."

He said the United States has been encouraged by the many offers by member states "to provided experts to assist in achieving national implementation." The ambassador also thanked Romania for creating a Web site for CW members on the Implementation Assistance Program. It is important to deliver the appropriate support to nations that need it, he added.

Javits also said the United States is on track to meet its next major CW destruction milestone in December 31, 2007. By that date, he said, 45 percent of the U.S. stockpile of chemical weapons should be eliminated. "We remain firmly committed to prompt, safe, and environmentally responsible destruction of our chemical weapons stockpile under international monitoring," he said.

When the United Nations unanimously adopted Security Council Resolution 1540 -- aimed at preventing terrorists from acquiring these weapons -- in April 2004, Javits said it underlined "the importance of adoption and enforcement of effective legal regulatory standards to prevent proliferation of chemical weapons." Fully implementing the CWC’s Article VII requirements according to the Implementation Action Plan, he said, is key to meeting the objectives of the resolution.

The full text of the Chemical Weapons Convention is available on the Internet at http://www.cwc.gov/treaty/cwcIndex_html.