The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) discussed legislative frameworks, chemical safety, and security in its Asia meeting held here from July 1 to 3, an official release said on Thursday.
The three-day meeting is expected to have strengthened regional cooperation between the Asian countries in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Regional meetings of national authorities are organised by OPCW annually to support implementation of the Convention through capacity building.
During this meeting, the delegates shared their experiences, discussed national implementation challenges, best practices, and opportunities for further cooperation, it said.
The OPCW provided important updates on synergies between United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) as well as discussions on future Mentorship Partnership Programmes.
This annual meeting provides an opportunity to exchange experiences, information and best practices for CWC implementation, and also provides a platform to present and discuss issues and solutions for complying with obligations under the Convention that are of particular importance to the National Authorities regionally, the release added.
The interaction fosters bilateral and regional cooperation, and bolster networks among National Authorities.
The meeting was attended by 38 delegates from 24 States Parties (countries) from the Asia region including Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Cambodia, Iraq, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives, Philippines, Oman, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam along with officials from the OPCW and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), the official document added.
The OPCW is the implementing body for the CWC, with its 193 member states, it oversees the global endeavour to permanently and verifiably eliminate chemical weapons.
The OPCW was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize for its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons.
India is an original signatory to the convention.
The National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC) is the national authority responsible for implementing the Convention in India.
In 2024, NACWC successfully mentored the Kenya National Authority under the OPCW Mentorship/Partnership Programme to strengthen its implementation capacity.
The Indian Chemical Council (ICC), India’s oldest Chemical Industry Association works closely with the NACWC for reaching out to industry.
ICC brought laurels for India as it was awarded the OPCW-The Hague Award 2024, as a co-recipient, for its role in promoting chemical safety, compliance with the Convention, and enhancing industry-wide security practices in India.
This is the first time globally that a chemical industry body was honoured with this award.