Iran picked as deputy chair of OPCW conference

Alireza Jahangiri, the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was elected as the Deputy Chairperson of the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) Conference of the States Parties.

Mr. Jahangiri who also serves as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the kingdom of the Netherlands acquired the position at the 22nd session of the conference in The Hague on Thursday.

Also Iran’s membership in the organization was approved by all state members of the Chemical Weapons Convention for the 2018-2020 term.

The pick was affected by Iran’s active role in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, chairing the confidential committee of the organization and heading the Asian group in the OPCW.

The 22nd session of the conference in The Hague was opened by the address delivered by the incumbent Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü on December 26. The event was concluded on Friday.

Established to oversee the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention - the full global ban on these kind of weapons, the OPCW was hailed by the Nobel Committee reading in a statement "The conventions and the work of the OPCW have defined the use of chemical weapons as a taboo under international law.

The Nobel Peace Prize 2013 was awarded to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons "for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons". OPCW's Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü said the award will only spur the organization’s efforts, commitment and dedication.

Also at the end of the election on Thursday, Fernando Arias was officially appointed to a four-year term as the next Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. He replaces incumbent Ahmet Uzumcu, who served two terms, on July 25, 2018.

Members of the OPCW's Executive Council met on Friday and adopted by consensus,

In a speech following the decision, Arias said, "I am fully committed to the success of this organization in overcoming the challenges ahead."

Arias is currently Spain's ambassador to the Netherlands and his country's Permanent Representative to the OPCW.

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