YouSaid · the spoken record

Pfirter

lines on the record
14
first
2007-02-23
most recent
2007-02-23
sittings or episodes
1
sources
un-security-council

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  1. “As members may know, I have extended a formal invitation on behalf of the OPCW to the Secretary-General to attend the commemoration ceremonies, which are to take place in The Hague on 9 May 2007. I believe that his presence and personal involvement in our commemoration would symbolize not only his own support, but that of the entire membership of the United Nations, for the work of the OPCW, an organization that confirms daily that even the most sensitive issues having to do with disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction can be dealt with multilaterally and by consensus. In closing, I wish to thank the members of the Council for this timely opportunity to address them on the work of the OPCW.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  2. “In all of these exercises, the hypothesis was an attack by terrorists either on a plant or on facilities within States members. In just a couple of months, the OPCW will be observing the tenth anniversary of its establishment and of the entry into force of the Convention on 27 April 1997. During that short time, we have made steady progress in carrying out our mandate. Indeed, we take a measure of pride in what has been accomplished in those 10 years. The Convention and its disarmament and non- proliferation agenda are being implemented effectively and in an exemplary manner. Our States parties have every reason to commemorate this important milestone in the history of disarmament.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  3. “Here, I would note that, in the case of alleged 07-24806 use of chemical weapons involving State non-parties, the OPCW is mandated to cooperate closely with the United Nations Secretary-General and that, if so requested, it will put its resources at the Secretary- General's disposal. Since the Convention entered into force in 1997, we have trained more than 2,300 first responders within our States parties. For instance, in October 2005 we conducted a field exercise, Joint Assistance 2005, together with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Ukraine. We also conducted an exercise organized by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Finnish Ministry of the Interior.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  4. “The involvement and cooperation of that industry stems not only from its laudable support for the Convention in general, but also from the evident risk of possible attacks on chemical facilities - attacks by terrorists that would turn industrial sites into horrendous weapons. Under article X of the Convention, each State party is entitled to receive assistance and protection. Our activities in this area are central to our mission and are, again, fully consistent with the provisions of resolution 1540 (2004). The OPCW is also mandated to undertake investigations of any alleged use of chemical weapons and is equipped with the technical means and expertise to do so.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  5. “One hundred States parties, or 56 per cent, have informed us of the measures they have in place to control transfers of scheduled chemicals. Fifty-six States parties, or 31 per cent, have indicated that they have reviewed their regulations on trade in chemicals and have confirmed that those regulations are consistent with the object and purpose of the Convention. Hundreds of thousands of tons of scheduled chemicals are traded internationally every year for purposes not prohibited under the Convention. In order to ensure that that is done only for peaceful purposes, we count on the invaluable support not only of Governments, but also of the chemical industry.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  6. “Let me note that, in many cases, delays by Governments in the fulfilment of their Convention obligations are not the result of a lack of political will, but are due to a scarcity of specific legal expertise. The OPCW secretariat has actively focused on offering practical on-site assistance tailored to the needs of the States Parties that have requested it. Thus far, we have worked on 241 drafts of implementing legislation from 117 States parties. At least 25 States parties have also offered significant bilateral assistance. Of our 181 States parties, 172 - that is to say, 95 per cent - have established or designated a national authority. Sixty- three per cent of them have reported that they have adopted legislative or administrative measures to implement the Convention.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  7. “Since June 1997, when inspections began for the purpose of non-proliferation, the Secretariat has carried out over 2,700 inspections, including over 1,100 industrial inspections in 73 States parties. It is to the credit of the drafters of the Convention that a treaty that had its beginnings in the cold war era and was intended to address activities at the State level also allows us to respond to today's threats. In view of the need to ensure full implementation of the Convention, our Conference of States Parties adopted a plan of action to assist States parties that 07-24806 have yet to meet their obligations, under the articles of the Convention, to enact implementing legislation and to establish a National Authority.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  8. “Under our Convention, six States parties, Albania, India, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the Russian Federation, the United States of America and another State Party have between them declared approximately 71,000 metric tons of Category l and 2 chemical weapons. Overall, more than 16,600 metric tons of chemical weapons have already been destroyed under the verification regime of the OPCW. This figure represents nearly a quarter of the declared global total. The steps taken in this connection clearly contribute to global security, while reducing opportunities for non-State actors to gain access to existing stockpiles. We also carry out industry inspections.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  9. “The failure of 14 United Nations Member States to join the Convention continues to be an issue of concern, including, in certain cases, as regards non- proliferation. This is particularly serious in the case of the Middle East and in the Korean Peninsula, where we hope that recent developments will bring into sharper focus the need to address accession to the Convention by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. I will now turn to the specific aspects I referred to earlier concerning the destruction of chemical weapons. According to the Convention, States parties must declare any chemical weapons stockpiles, including those which are old and abandoned. Operative paragraph 3 of resolution 1540 (2004) rightly addresses the need to develop appropriate measures to ensure accountability and physical protection of relevant materials.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  10. “Nevertheless, by helping States parties to meet all requirements regarding national implementation, it helps ensure that dangerous chemicals are not misused in any manner, including for terrorism. In December 2001, two months after the terrible attacks against the United States of America, our Executive Council adopted a specific decision on the contributions of the OPCW to the anti-terrorism effort. These contributions include promoting universal adherence to the Convention and the full implementation of national obligations under the Convention. The objective of universal adherence to the Convention remains fundamental to the achievement of its object and purpose. This goal is also reaffirmed in resolution 1540 (2004).”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  11. “Resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1673 (2006) recognize the need for multilateral cooperation in this area. Many of the measures in the operative paragraphs of resolution 1540 (2004) dealing with chemical weapons correspond to obligations that States parties have assumed under the Convention. Operative paragraph 1 of resolution 1540 (2004) stipulates that States should refrain from providing any form of support to non-State actors that attempt in any way to develop or acquire weapons of mass destruction. This is fully in line with the general obligations set out in article I of the Convention and further developed in article VII. As you know, the OPCW is not an anti-terrorist organization.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  12. “The international community has firmly rejected the use of toxic chemicals under any circumstances to inflict harm, as demonstrated by the overwhelming international support for the global ban on such weapons. The Chemical Weapons Convention has 181 States parties, and Member States of the United Nations have unanimously condemned the use ofpoison gas. I urge all Governments, particularly those in the Middle East region, whether or not they are parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, to join me in stating clearly that the use of poison gas is unacceptable." The role of the OPCW in bringing about a comprehensive prohibition on chemical weapons is indispensable to the larger objectives of the United Nations in promoting international peace and security.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  13. “Only yesterday we learned that Iraq, a country whose people have in the past endured the terrible consequences of the use of chemical weapons, has suffered yet another series of cowardly attacks involving chlorine, which was used to kill and injure unprotected, innocent civilians. With your permission, Mr. President, I would like to read out a statement issued on my behalf at OPCW headquarters today and here in New York. 3 "As Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, I condemn in the strongest possible terms the recent multiple use of chlorine gas by groups in Iraq to kill and injure innocent civilians.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source

  14. “Mr. Pfirter: I would like to thank you for the kind invitation to attend this meeting. I am pleased to have this important opportunity to brief the Security Council on various aspects of the mandate and functioning of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and to highlight the important role it has to play in chemical disarmament and non-proliferation. The threat of chemical terrorism cannot be underestimated. Ease of access to dual-use chemicals and readily available knowledge of the technologies and processes required to manufacture chemical weapons make them a potential instrument of choice for terrorists.”

    2007-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5635 (2007) · source