The 16th Regional Meeting of National Authorities of African States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) kicked off on Tuesday in Marrakesh with the participation of delegations representing 38 African States Parties to the CWC, and six regional and international organizations.
This meeting, organized in partnership with the Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), focuses on the role of governmental services in the CWC implementation, as well as the coordination and reinforcement of the implementation of this convention on the national level.
It aims to highlight African priorities and further develop the means of fostering cooperation between OPCW's Technical Secretariat and the African states parties.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said the potential use of chemical weapons by non-state actors poses a serious threat to international peace and security and is a real concern for the international community, which should address it in a resolute way.
He stressed that Morocco, African coordinator for the OPCW, considers the group's regional approach a pivotal asset for setting the principle of universality of the convention and a chief lever to approach realities, spot challenges facing the state parties and provide assistance and cooperation for every region and sub-region.
By hosting this major event, Morocco reaffirms its long-standing support for actions undertaken by the OPCW, which it joined upon the enforcement of CWC on April 29, 1997, Bourita noted.
Morocco, which has never manufactured, developed, stored or used chemical weapons, adopts a position of principle that condemns the use of chemical weapons by whatever party, said Bourita.
The Kingdom, which is known for its observance of international law, deems that the use of such weapons is a violation of the CWC, decisions of the United Nations and rules and regulations making up international law, he added in a speech read out on his behalf by the Foreign Ministry's director-general for bilateral relations and regional affairs, Fouad Yazough.
