Strong United States Support for Libyan Chemical Weapons Convention Request

Question: Is the United States in support of a change to the Chemical Weapons Convention requested by Libya? What does the United States want to see changed?

Answer: The United States is very supportive of Libya's request for a technical change to the Chemical Weapons Convention to allow for conversion of the chemical weapons production facility at Rabta. Libya wants to use some of the equipment and buildings from this chemical weapons facility to produce low-cost pharmaceuticals to treat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis for use mainly in Africa.

Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, Libya would normally be required to raze these buildings to the ground and destroy all equipment. Libya has proposed a "technical change" (a minor change that does not rise to the level of an amendment) to the Chemical Weapons Convention that would allow for conversion of this facility to peaceful uses. Seventeen States Parties, including the U.S., co-sponsored the proposal.

The U.S. supports the proposal both because it makes sense in this particular instance -- we strongly support redirecting this equipment to pharmaceutical production for the benefit of the developing world -- and because it provides a means of dealing with similar situations if they arise in the future. The process of conversion, and the facility once converted, will be subject to international verification to ensure that no materials are misused for chemical weapons purposes. The Executive Council -- the 41-member executive body of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which implements the treaty -- must decide this week whether to endorse the proposed technical change. Our Ambassador made a strong statement October 12 explaining our position and urging other Executive Council members to support the proposal.
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