Casablanca – The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has elected Morocco to be the coordinator for its African state members, the Moroccan Embassy in the Netherlands announced Monday.
Morocco succeeded Kenya in this annual function.
Morocco was also reelected for a two-year term in Executive Council of the OPCW, where it represented the African Group for 19 years. In 2016, Morocco was elected as a member of the Confidentiality Commission and a member of the Advisory Committee on Education and Awareness.
Several African ambassadors asserted that the election of Morocco reflects its dynamic role within the organization and testifies to its vitality in the region. They added that Morocco plays an important role in disarmament-related issues and that this position would strengthen its effort in this area, noting that the unanimous vote was explained by the trust that African countries have in Morocco and the kingdom’s consistent attention to Africa’s problems.
Morocco signed the convention prohibiting the production, sale, and use of Chemical Weapons on January 13, 1993 and actively contributed to the process that led to the adoption of the convention.
Moreover, Morocco took part in all the ordinary and extraordinary sessions of the conference of member states and was elected in 2015 as Vice-President of the conference. Also, the Kingdom represented African state members in several commissions and bodies at the conference’s various sessions.
Fifty-two of the state members of OPCW are African states, making the African body the largest body in the group.
