The 21st Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties event was held from August 29 to 31 in Siem Reap province. - Phnom Penh Post/ANN
PHNOM PENH (Phnom Penh Post/ANN): Cambodia has urged nations worldwide to collaborate on the eradication of chemical weapons, citing their risk to both regional and international security and safety.
During the 21st Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties in Asia, Phorn Nara, secretary general of the National Authority for the Prohibition of Chemical, Nuclear, Biological and Radiological Weapons, issued the call, said a Ministry of National Defence press release.
The conference, which took place from August 29 to 31 in Siem Reap, was presided over by Nara and Beatrix Lahoupe, who leads the Implementation Support Branch of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). 33 member states participated.
“All nations should take part in eradicating chemical weapons, through close bilateral and multilateral cooperation, under the guidance and coordination of the OPCW,” said Nara.
Thong Mengdavid, a researcher at the Mekong Centre for Strategic Studies of the Asian Vision Institute, agreed that chemical weapons represent a serious threat to humanity.
He also pointed out that Cambodia had felt the impact of such weapons during the Cold War.
“Cambodia has always been in favour of eliminating certain types of weapons, like cluster munitions and chemical weapons. We will continue to bolster security and military cooperation with Asean and our partners, as well as advocate for peaceful, multilateral resolutions, while working to eliminate weapons that harm humanity,” he said.
He added that Asean shares a fundamental policy of fostering a community centred on peace, stability and prosperity, and is firmly against the use of weapons that harm humanity, aligning with UN objectives.
Mengdavid suggested that the Asean Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia could serve as a framework for member states and dialogue partners to engage in maintaining and resolving regional peace, potentially leading to the complete elimination of chemical weapons.
He concluded by reiterating that Cambodia has consistently held the stance of eliminating such weapons as a means to contribute to global peace, stability and shared prosperity. - Phnom Penh Post/ANN
