This event, which will be co-chaired by Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita and OPCW’s Director-General, Fernando Arias, will gather more than 140 foreign participants, including representatives from 40 states-parties to the CWC, as well as international experts from the fields of science, industry, civil society and academics. The Conference will provide a platform for exchange and to examine the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in terms of disarmament and chemical security.

This conference showcases the Kingdom of Morocco’s commitment to promoting peace and international security through a responsible usage of emerging technologies, such as AI, in crucial fields such as chemical security and non-proliferation. For three days, the participants will have the opportunity to explore various themes, such as AI applications in chemistry, the challenges of ethical governance of AI, and its role in the fight against chemical terrorism.

Morocco has established itself as a major player in AI governance at international level. As the first African and Arab country to implement the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, the Kingdom also co-sponsored the first UN resolutions on AI and launched, in partnership with the United States, the “Group of Friends on Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development.” This group aims to mobilize efforts to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where AI, allied to chemistry, could play a key role.

Created in 1997 to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is working towards a world free of chemical weapons. With 193 member states, the OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its outstanding disarmament efforts. Today, the OPCW continues to play a central role in preventing the re-emergence of chemical weapons and promoting the peaceful use of chemistry.