Indonesia Runs For OPCW Member

JAKARTA, August 1 (Antara) - Indonesia is running for the executive board member of the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). "Indonesia has been running for OPCW Executive Board for the period 2018-2020," Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto said in a press release received by Antara here on Monday. Airlangga, as Chairman of the Indonesian National of the Chemical Weapons Convention made the statement after meeting with the Director General of OPCW, Ahmet Üzümcü, in Jakarta some time ago. It is expected that being in the Executive Board, Indonesia will play a more optimal role in determining policy and discussion of OPCW's strategic issues while safeguarding the interest of Indonesia related to the implementation of the Chemical Weapon Convention. "We also want OPCW to give Indonesia a higher chance to play a role in the OPCW Technical Secretariat as an international inspector, researcher, and officer," Airlangga said. According to him, at present, Indonesia needs a referral laboratory that is specifically developed for analysis of precursors and degradation of chemical weapons to support the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention at the national level. In addition, Indonesia also encourages the national laboratories to become reference by OCW. In this case, Indonesia needs capacity building assistance in the form of training and assistance from OPCW experts to develop research capability. According to Airlangga, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has proposed the establishment of the ASEAN Regional Chemical Weapons Convention Capability Hub. The establishment of the institution is aimed at supporting ASEAN in dealing with an increasingly complex global security development related to mass destruction weapons. "We support the establishment of the hub to support the strengthening of the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention," he asserted. The Chemical Weapons Convention is an international convention that prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, and using of chemical weapons, and the destruction across the world. On January 13, 1993 in Paris, Indonesia co-signed the Chemical Weapons Convention with 130 other countries. The Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force on April 29, 1997 and Indonesia officially became a state party on December 12, 1998. The Chemical Weapons Convention has been signed by 192 countries.