STATEMENT OF NIGERIA BY HER EXCELLENCY, DR. (MRS.) NIMOTA NIHINLOLA AKANBI

AMBASSADOR OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA TO THE ROYAL KINGDOM OF

THE NETHERLANDS/PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE OPCW AT THE 57TH SESSION OF

THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 14-17 JULY 2009, THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS

Mr. Chairman,

     On behalf of my delegation, I would like to welcome you as the Chairperson of the 57th Session of the Executive Council. I am confident that your able leadership will guide us through this session. Therefore I assure you of the support and cooperation of my delegation towards the achievement of the tasks we have set for this Council.

Mr. Chairman,

    My delegation commends your predecessor Ambassador Oksana Tomova, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the OPCW for the competence, patience and wisdom she displayed during her tenure as Chairperson of this distinguished council.

    I also express my appreciation to the Director-General Mr. Rogelio Pfirter for his comprehensive opening statement and to congratulate him and his hardworking team in the Technical Secretariat for their tireless efforts and zeal in the pursuit of the objectives of the Convention.

Mr. Chairman,

    The Nigerian Delegation fully aligns itself with the statements made by the African Group and the Non-aligned Movement and China. We also welcome the newest State; the Bahamas into the OPCW which has increased the number of States Party to 188. This is a clear demonstration of the organization’s commitment to the universality of the Convention. It also underscores the crucial role of the OPCW in global peace and security.

Mr. Chairman,

    Nigeria continues to be in the forefront of the call for the transparent implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Knowing the dangers of Chemical Weapons to mankind, it is imperative for Nation-States to abhor and condemn the use of such weapons while ensuring total elimination of the deadly weapons.

    In the light of this, Nigeria re-affirms its full commitment to the objectives of the Convention which is the total destruction of all chemical weapons stockpile before the stipulated deadline. This is non negotiable as these weapons pose grave dangers to the world. Therefore, we call on all possessors’ states to comply and complete the destruction of all forms of chemical weapons before April 2012. Failure to meet this deadline will cast doubt on the integrity of this distinguished organization.

Mr. Chairman,

    Nigeria believes in the promotion of international cooperation in the field of chemistry through the exchange of chemicals, equipment, scientific and technological information for the economic and technological development of member states particularly for African States Parties, in line with the provisions of Article XI. We call for the full implementation of this provision and adequate funding for capacity building geared towards the peaceful use of chemistry for the good of mankind. To this end, the appointment of Mr. Chen Kai of the delegation of China as the new facilitator for Article XI is highly welcomed by my delegation and we lend our full support to him.

Mr. Chairman,

    The threat of global terrorism is becoming even more real in today’s world and the existence of chemical industries amongst us also poses a threat to our urban areas. Therefore it is important for the OPCW to rise to the challenge and be prepared to assist States Parties in case of chemical weapons attack or incidence in line with Article X. Nigeria appreciates the contributions of State Parties in collaborating with the Technical Secretariat in organizing assistant programmes in the past and the present towards the actualization of this Article such as ASSISTEX 3 which is scheduled to hold from 11th to 15th October 2010 in Tunisia.

Mr. Chairman,

    Nigeria has continued to benefit from the rich international cooperation and assistance programme of the OPCW particularly the OPCW programme for Africa. We note the enthusiasm and vigour in which the programme is being pursued positively by States Parties as it evolves into a more result oriented programme.  While expressing our gratitude to the Technical Secretariat and the donor Countries, we call for the continued financial support of the programme and encourage African States Parties to take full advantage of it in enhancing the capacity of their personnel.

Mr. Chairman,

    Nigeria has continued to meet his obligation under the convention by timely payment of its contributions to the organization and submission of its annual declarations. Nigeria has also organized sensitization workshops on the Chemical Weapons Convention for the parliament and other stakeholder. Currently, the draft legislation for the domestication of the convention is receiving attention in the Nigerian Parliament for final consideration.

Mr. Chairman,

   The appointment of the next Director-General remains a crucial element in the future of this organization. Following the endorsement of the candidature of Ambassador Dani Benchaa of Algeria at the African Union Summit in Libya, Nigeria pledges her full support behind this distinguished gentleman.

Mr. Chairman,

   The Nigeria delegation fully appreciates the various consultations of the Chairperson of the Council with regional groups and individual States Parties. However, we are concerned with the lack of a formal procedure in the process. We recommend that the council examines the African Group paper with a view to applying some element in the paper according to the relevance to the stages in the process, to guide the efforts of the council in the appointment of the next Director-General. We stress that equity, fairness and transparency should be the bedrock of this exercise in order to arrive at a successful outcome.

  Mr. Chairman,

    The Nigerian delegation re-echoes the call of the African States Parties for the equitable representation of Africans in the professional cadre of the technical Secretariat. We also support the call for submission of   the Director-General’s annual report on the implementation of the tenure policy for effective assessment of the composition of the staff of the Secretariat.

Mr. Chairman,

   Let me reiterate my delegation’s full commitment to the convention as we await the outcome of this 57th Session of this distinguished Council.

I  thank you.