News

On 15-16 April, the first meeting of the International Scientific Advisory Board on Dumped Chemical Weapons was held in the Hague. The Board was established at Lithuania’s initiative, its meeting focused on strengthening capacities of the international community to respond to incidents related to chemical weapons and on preventing various threats to the environment and other spheres.

According to Lithuania’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Vaidotas Verba, the establishment of the independent scientific advisory Board should allow to continue developing initiatives within various formats, thus promoting international cooperation in order to solve the problem of sea-dumped chemical weapons.

The Scientific Board has gathered together world-known representatives of environmental organizations, scientists and researchers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Japan, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the U.S.A., working in the fields of environment protection and destruction of chemical weapons.

Prof. Stanisław Witek from Wrocław University of Technology was elected as Chairman of the Board. In the Board, Lithuania is represented by Head of the Marine Research Department of the Environmental Protection Agency Algirdas Stankevičius and Head of the Laboratory of Genotoxicology of the Institute of Ecology Janina Baršienė.

The Scientists will provide expert information, evaluations and analytical assessment regarding sea-dumped chemical weapons, will coordinate the activities of temporary working groups and will develop international cooperation on the issue of sea-dumped chemical weapons.

During the meeting, members of the Board unanimously agreed that although the international agreements and conventions did not regulate the issues of sea-dumped chemical weapons, this was a global problem and multifaceted challenge for the international community.

The regulations of the Board stipulate that its activities will be independent from governments and international organizations. The Board will aim at achieving financial independence and will employ national and international means to finance its activities.

The International Scientific Advisory Board on Dumped Chemical Weapons should contribute to the international effort to develop the search for a solution regarding buried chemical weapons and the dialogue of governments, organizations, society, business, science and academic community.

Current Lithuania’s Chairmanship of the Conference of State Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention has already held some international meetings and seminars to discuss threats caused by sea-dumped chemical weapons and means to solve this problem. Lithuania has initiated international cooperation to prepare and pass the United Nations resolution on sea-dumped chemical weapons in 2010.