Iraq’s Representative Delivers a Statement at 107th Session of the Executive Council of OPCW

Iraq participated in the 107th Session of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is being held at the organization’s headquarters in The Hague, with a delegation headed by Minister Plenipotentiary, Dr. Ali Alhadi, Iraq’s representative to the organization, for the period 8 to 11 October 2024.

In his speech, the representative of Iraq thanked Ambassador Fernando Arias, Director-General of the organization, for the briefing he provided, and commended the efforts of all employees of the technical departments of the organization. He affirmed Iraq’s support for the statement delivered by Uganda on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and China.

The statement touched on the current situation in Palestine, denouncing the genocide to which the Palestinian people are being subjected. Iraq also renewed its support for the request of the delegation of the State of Palestine submitted to the Technical Secretariat of the organization to investigate the possible use or threat of use of chemical weapons by the occupation forces, stressing that such acts are prohibited according to the rules of international law.

In addition, Iraq called for ending the illegal aggression practiced by the occupation forces against Lebanon, and their repeated violations of Lebanese sovereignty. The representative of Iraq also praised the efforts made by the Syrian government in cooperation with the technical secretariat of the organization, which resulted in the resumption of rounds of consultations with the assessment team, the last of which was the 28th round. Iraq affirmed its firm stance on the necessity of preserving the technical character of the organization and avoiding any politicization of its work, to ensure professional dealing with issues related to chemical weapons.