Other countries have repeatedly said they look to the United States for leadership in the area of chemical disarmament. The United States has provided that leadership by example. Now we find ourselves required to provide a different kind of leadership -- one that is crucially necessary for pursuing the goals of this Convention successfully. The task before us is daunting. It requires new leadership at the top of the Technical Secretariat.
The United States, and, according to our consultations, other State Parties, have been troubled by the direction which Director-General Bustani has taken the OPCW through ongoing financial mismanagement, demoralization of the Technical Secretariat staff, and ill-considered initiatives. The Technical Secretariat faces a ballooning range of responsibilities as more and more parties increase their level of CWC-related activity. It is precisely the fundamental priorities of the Convention, the destruction of existing chemical weapons stocks and ensuring among States Parties that the capability to build new ones does not proliferate, that the current Director-General is denigrating as he seeks to divert the Convention into new channels even during a time of financial crisis. Allowing this kind of misdirection to continue, in the view of many of us, will quickly put the Organization in an unrecoverable deficit, both in finances and in capability.
It is clear that our current Director-General has lost his mandate by losing the confidence of a critical mass of States Parties. This is a pivotal time for the treaty and its implementation. This Executive Council can play an important role to help assure no further damage is done to the Organization or to the Technical Secretariat staff. It is the appropriate place to express, by means of our responsibility for overseeing the activities of the Secretariat, and our clear vision of a need for change.
To advance the possibility of realizing chemical disarmament on a global scale under the auspices of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the United States therefore asks the current Director-General of the Technical Secretariat to resign immediately for the good of the Organization. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The United States, and, according to our consultations, other State Parties, have been troubled by the direction which Director-General Bustani has taken the OPCW through ongoing financial mismanagement, demoralization of the Technical Secretariat staff, and ill-considered initiatives. The Technical Secretariat faces a ballooning range of responsibilities as more and more parties increase their level of CWC-related activity. It is precisely the fundamental priorities of the Convention, the destruction of existing chemical weapons stocks and ensuring among States Parties that the capability to build new ones does not proliferate, that the current Director-General is denigrating as he seeks to divert the Convention into new channels even during a time of financial crisis. Allowing this kind of misdirection to continue, in the view of many of us, will quickly put the Organization in an unrecoverable deficit, both in finances and in capability.
It is clear that our current Director-General has lost his mandate by losing the confidence of a critical mass of States Parties. This is a pivotal time for the treaty and its implementation. This Executive Council can play an important role to help assure no further damage is done to the Organization or to the Technical Secretariat staff. It is the appropriate place to express, by means of our responsibility for overseeing the activities of the Secretariat, and our clear vision of a need for change.
To advance the possibility of realizing chemical disarmament on a global scale under the auspices of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the United States therefore asks the current Director-General of the Technical Secretariat to resign immediately for the good of the Organization. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.