Press Releases
Visit of H.E. Mr. Arias, Director-General, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), to Japan
1. From June 17 to 22, H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, Director-General, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), will visit Japan as a guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. During his stay, he will have a meeting with senior officials including Mr. Kono Taro, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and visit Kyoto and Hiroshima.
2. The OPCW has been making various efforts, including the establishment of the tool to identify perpetrators of the use of chemical weapons, following such incidents in Syria, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Japan has been providing support for the OPCW, including contribution to the project to upgrade the OPCW laboratory, which takes a role of analysis and verification for the alleged cases.
3. Mr. Arias’ visit to Japan is expected to further strengthen the cooperative relationship between Japan and the OPCW for the prevention of the emergence of chemical weapons.
[Note] Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
The OPCW is an international organization based in the Hague in the Netherlands and established based on the Convention of Chemical Weapons, which entered into force in 1997. For the prohibition and non-proliferation of chemical weapons, the OPCW takes measures to monitor compliance with the Convention, including inspections of the progress of the destruction of chemical weapons and its production facilities, and industrial inspections to prevent the conversion of chemicals to weapons. Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the OPCW in 2013 for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons in the world.
