United Nations' Secretary-general Kofi Annan has urged more countries to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention without delay. (Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/AFP)

    BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- United Nations' Secretary-general Kofi Annan has urged more countries to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention without delay.

    In a letter to the ongoing meeting of the signatory states to the Convention, the UN chief said that expanding membership in the Convention is vital for strengthening international security and for promoting the peaceful use of chemistry, China Radio International reported Tuesday.

    Annan stressed that a number of key states remain outside its purview, and efforts to rid the world of chemical weapons continue to occupy a central place on the global agenda.

    He also urged member states to implement effective national legislation to give substance to their commitments under the Convention.

    At the meeting, head of Chinese delegation Xue Hanqing says terrorism and the proliferation of mass destruction weapons pose serious challenges to world peace and security. He notes China will encourage more countries to join the Convention.

    The Chemical Weapons Convention went into force in 1997 and it has now 167 state members, covering some 90 percent of the world's chemical industry. กก