1. The Republic of Korea’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Lee Yun-young, formally and with the support of all the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), took office as Chair of the 23rd Conference of the States Parties to the CWC at the Conference held on November 19.

° As Chair of the premier decision-making body of the CWC for one year, Ambassador Lee will chair the 23rd Conference of the States Parties that brings together delegates from the 193 States Parties to the CWC, relevant international organizations and civic groups.

2. The ROK’s chairmanship of the Conference of the States Parties to the CWC comes in twenty years since 1998, when the country led the third such Conference. As the chair of the 23^rd Conference, the ROK is expected to enhance its standing in the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is at the forefront of disarmament efforts, as can be seen from the fact that, in recognition of its contribution to the dismantlement of the greater part of chemical weapons in the global community, it was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013.

° Along with Shin Dong-ik, who was elected Chair of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) on November 8, 2018, Ambassador Lee, as Chair of the Conference of the States Parties to the CWC, is expected to help further expand the ROK’s leading role in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation.

* unofficial translation