On Monday and Tuesday (7 and 8 June 2010), the international conference “Contribution of the OPCW to the international security dimension – achievements and challenges” is to be held in Berlin.

It will be opened by Rogelio Pfirter, Director-General of the OPCW, and Wolf-Ruthart Born, State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office. Director-General Pfirter who leaves office in July will take the opportunity to look back over his many years of successful work and present his vision for the future of the OPCW.

The Chemical Weapons Convention and the OPCW whose founding in 1997 was rooted in the Convention form an important pillar in the international system for disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The conference is to take stock of the work of the OPCW, look at its role in the international security architecture and identify future challenges.

The Conference is being hosted jointly by the OPCW and the Federal Foreign Office and supported financially by the European Union. Up to 150 high-ranking participants are expected to attend from the States Parties of the Chemical Weapons Convention as well as representatives of the OPCW, the chemical industry, science and non-governmental organizations.