Press Releases

Thursday, December 2, Vilnius - The United Nations unanimously adopted a resolution initiated by Lithuania concerning international cooperation and exchange of information on sea-dumped chemical weapons and their environmental impact.

The need for the resolution was first voiced by President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė at the Baltic Sea Action Summit this past February in Helsinki, and the draft proposal for resolution was presented at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

"Chemical munitions dumped at sea pose a huge risk to people and environment. By initiating this resolution, Lithuania urges the international community to cooperate actively, trace dumped chemical munitions, exchange information and explore possible solutions to this issue. Thanks to Lithuania's efforts, this issue will get worldwide attention," President Dalia Grybauskaitė said.

According to the President, a very important aspect of the resolution is the provision of information and raising awareness of the public on sea-dumped chemical weapons and their environmental risks.

The issue of dumped chemical weapons is particularly painful for the Baltic Sea, where about 40 thousand tones of chemical munitions remain from World War II. Until now, there was a lack of legal instruments on a global scale to address the problem of sea-dumped chemicals. The adoption of the resolution initiated by Lithuania at the United Nations demonstrates the global nature of the problem and will promote international cooperation in looking for the best ways and solutions to this environmental issue. The resolution does not cover the issue of removal and destruction of the chemical weapons.