The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will light 1,000 butter lamps at the National Memorial Choeten to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the establishment of the Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) today.

The OPCW is the implementing agency for the CWC, which entered into force on April 29, 1997.

OPCW’s mission is to implement the provisions of the CWC to achieve a world free of chemical weapons. The OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.

Bhutan supports all efforts to promote general and complete disarmament,” a foreign ministry press release stated.

“As a State party to the CWC, and as a responsible member of the international community, Bhutan is committed to further the efforts of the OPCW to rid the world of chemical weapons and to prevent its production.”

Bhutan acceded to the CWC on August 18, 2005.

Staff Reporter