EU: Annual Report on the 2003 Strategy against WMD Published

The EU has recently published an Annual Progress Report on the implementation of its 2003 Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. If used, nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons cause immense human suffering. The EU Strategy underscores the importance of effective multilateralism, including safeguarding the centrality and the promotion of the universality of the global non-proliferation and disarmament architecture. The report highlights five key areas of action that the EU prioritised in 2020: (1) monitoring radioactive activity; (2) enhancing nuclear security; (3) mitigating CBRN risks worldwide; (4) ending impunity for chemical weapons use; and (5) strengthening global biosecurity. The has supported the core responsibilities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concerning non-proliferation, nuclear safety, nuclear security, and nuclear energy applications and technical cooperation. The EU has firmly supported the work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in investigating reports of chemical weapons use in Syria, in seeking to resolve the identified gaps and inconsistencies in the Syrian initial declaration, as well as in investigating and identifying the perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria. The EU has supported the effective implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the strengthening of the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons.

The full text of the report is available here.

Source: EU EEAS

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