The Philippines has called on fellow nations to ensure that no chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction are used to protect civilians in conflict areas.
During the 99th Session of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) held at the OPCW headquarters in The Hague on March 8, the Philippines called for the observance of international humanitarian law amid "recent grim developments."
“As we monitor recent grim developments, we need to remain vigilant and ensure that civilians are unharmed and protected, and international humanitarian law observed. We should further ensure that no chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction are ever used,” Philippine Permanent Representative to the OPCW Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya said.
Malaya reiterated the call of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. amid the evolving developments in Ukraine, for the international community “to reaffirm by more than words its commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes” along the lines of the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes which provides the legal framework for recourse to diplomacy, dialogue and rule of law.
The Philippine Ambassador further urged the participating delegations to “rededicate ourselves to the ideals of the U.N. Charter, notably the cornerstone principles of no threat or use of force and the peaceful settlement of international disputes.”
“Let us keep in mind what brought us together as signatories of the Chemical Weapons Convention and other disarmament treaties, and work earnestly to realize the noble aspiration best expressed by the Greek Aeschylus – to ‘tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world’,” he added.
The Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (CWC) entered into force in 1997 and has 193 member states to date.
The OPCW Executive Council, on the other hand, is composed of 41 elected Member States, including the Philippines, and holds three regular sessions annually. It is responsible for promoting the effective implementation of the Convention and the compliance of each Member State with its provisions.