THE HAGUE, May 12 (Xinhua) — The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) opened on Friday its Centre for Chemistry and Technology (ChemTech Centre), in Pijnacker-Nootdorp, a town in the South Holland province of the Netherlands.
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands unveiled a plaque to mark the official inauguration.
The ChemTech Centre aims to provide a platform to better coordinate efforts among scientists, academia, civil society, industry, and relevant international organizations, so as to enhance the OPCW\’s ability to conduct chemical research and analysis, and address threats and opportunities arising from rapid progress in science and technology.
\”The ChemTech Centre is a success of multilateral diplomacy and tangible symbol of what the international community can achieve together in the benefit of global peace and security,\” OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias said.
The chemical weapons watchdog OPCW was founded in 1997 as the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, which entered into force that year to prohibit the use of chemical weapons and require their destruction. It now has 193 member states.
\”It is our firm belief that all member states will benefit from the new and exciting opportunities the ChemTech Centre has to offer and that it will greatly contribute to further bolster its international role, particularly in disarmament, verification and cooperation,\” said Paul Huijts, secretary-general of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.