US State Department, The United States remains deeply committed to the success of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) but unanticipated delays and setbacks have prompted a U.S. request for an extension of the deadline by which it must destroy its remaining chemical weapons stocks, according to a U.S. official.
Ambassador Eric Javits, the U.S. permanent representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons at The Hague, Netherlands, told delegates at an informal meeting April 20 that the United States remains dedicated to the success of the treaty but is asking for the extension from April 29, 2007, to April 29, 2012, the last possible date permitted by the CWC.
However, based on current U.S. Army projections, he said, the United States does not expect to be able to destroy 100 percent of chemical weapons stockpiles by April 2012.
The Chemical Weapons Convention, which entered into force April 29, 1997, bans the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention and direct or indirect transfer of chemical weapons. It also prohibits the use or preparation for use of chemical weapons and the assistance, encouragement or inducement of anyone else to engage in activities prohibited by the CWC.
The U.S. government remains committed to destroying its entire chemical weapons stockpile as quickly and safely as possible, Javits said, and will look for ways to accelerate its destruction progress. He said the United States wants to be as open and transparent about its destruction efforts and not present a false picture.
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