ISLAMABAD: The Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Uzumcu has said that because chemical weapons are not very complicated, it is inevitable that some ‘non-state’ groups get access to it.

At a public talk on Wednesday on the ‘Achievements of OPCW and its Future Role in Post-Destruction Phase’ at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad’s head office, Mr Uzumcu said: “It is worrying that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or other non-state groups in Afghanistan may have the know-how to operate, or have access to chemical weapons”.

The envoy also said that some toxic chemicals can also be used by these non-state actors.

The ambassador talked about the indiscriminate cruelty of chemical weapons and gave examples of their use in World War 2 and more recently, in 1995 in Tokyo, where perpetrators released Sarin in the subway, killing and injuring many.

Calls for making the world chemical weapon free

He said measures were being taken to make the world chemical weapon free. “A United Nations Conventions has been made to discourage the production of chemical weapons and 192 countries have pledged to put an end to all such weapons”.

He said the use of chemical weapons in Syria in 2013 has given world leaders another incentive to speed up their efforts against them. He added, “The US and Russia have reached a consensus that the chemical weapons in Syria should be destroyed”.

The OPWC DG continued, “All the chemical weapons in Syria have been moved out of the country and 99 per cent of them have been destroyed. The remaining will be destroyed soon.

However, the question still remains, who is responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria? Investigations are still going on and a report will be issued next year.”

Replying to a question about Israel, Mr Uzumcu said that though Israel was a signatory of the convention against chemical weapons, it had not ratified it yet.

He added, “As Syria’s chemical program has been dismantled, Israel should now review its position. If Israel changes its position, Egypt may also reconsider its policy.”

Mr Uzumcu warned that because of the developments in the chemical industry, the chances of accidents are increasing, which means precautionary measures should be undertaken to ensure the public’s safety.

Quoting examples from India and China, from where such accidents have been reported, he warned that Pakistan’s chemical industry is developing and therefore, there is a need for more safety measures to avoid accidents.

He said, “Scientists, students and the people of Pakistan have an important role to play to save future generations from the hazards of chemical weapons”.

Foreign Secreteray Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry said Pakistan had confidence in Mr Ahmet Uzumcu and that the country will continue supporting the OPCW.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2015