Distinguished Speaker Series: The challenges of chemical weapons disarmament - H.E. Mr Ahmet Uzumcu

The Chemical Weapons Treaty and its implementing organisation, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), is the first global accord for the complete elimination of one type of weapon of mass destruction, chemical weapons. It is a trailblazer for all future accords as the world seeks to eliminate all weapons of mass destruction over time. In the lead up to the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the treaty in 2013, we are delighted to host an address by the Director-General of the OPCW, H.E. Mr Ahmet Üzümcü, who will speak about the OPCW’s enduring mission to remain forever a bulwark against chemical weapons and to ensure that chemical weapons never re-emerge. He will describe one of the OPCW’s most difficult operations in Libya after the fall of the Qadhafi regime in 2011, and the lessons learned from this challenge for future operations. H.E. Mr Ahmet Üzümcü was appointed Director-General of the OPCW in December 2009. Immediately prior to this appointment he served as the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Turkey to the United Nations Office at Geneva. Ambassador Üzümcü is a career diplomat with vast experience in multilateral diplomacy. He has represented Turkey at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Council, the Conference on Disarmament, the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva. He has considerable expertise in political-military affairs, disarmament and proliferation issues. On 26 June 2010 Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü of Turkey received an honorary doctorate from the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations for lifetime achievements in arms control and disarmament.