Minister for Foreign Affairs Emma Bonino expressed “deep satisfaction” for Somalia’s ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention, announced today by the Director of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) from its headquarters in The Hague.
By this act Somalia becomes the 189th State Party to the OPCW treaty.
“This is a major step forward and one that takes on even greater significance in light of Italy’s strong efforts toward that country’s stabilisation”, Minister Bonino asserted. “The final goal”, she underscored, “is universal ratification, which Italy will continue to pursue”. “It is highly positive”, the minister continued, “that, in its 15 years of activity, the OPCW has fostered the destruction of 80% of the chemical weapons declared by its Member States”.
The countries that have yet to ratify the Convention include Angola, the Peoples Democratic Republic of Korea, Egypt, Israel, Myanmar, South Sudan and Syria.
With this ratification, Somalia will now have access to the OPCW international assistance and cooperation programmes funded in part by Italy through the European Union.
