UAE lauds progress in Chemical Weapons Convention

The Hague, April 10, 2013 (WAM) : UAE's Assistant Foreign Secretary for Military and Security Affairs Fares Mohamed Al Mazrouei has lauded the progress made in the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) since the 2nd Review Conference. Addressing the 3rd Review Conference of the States Parties of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which opened yesterday in the Hague, Al Mazrouei said the CWC managed to monitor implementation national obligations in the state parties, including destruction of almost three fourth of the declared chemical weapon stocks. "This proves credibility and effectiveness of the convention, as well as its success in putting in place a verification system that would lead to disarmament of chemical weapons. He referred to the efforts to establish a Middle East zone free of all nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction and regretted that the conference on that regard, could not be held in 2012. At the end of his speech, Al Mazrouei renewed UAE's commitment to the CWC, saying the country was in the process of issuing a national law on prohibition of chemical weapons. – Emirates News Agency, WAM