Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Executive Council

2024

The 105th session of the Executive Council convened 5-8 March. During the Conference, the U.S. delivered a statement on behalf of 47 states expressing concern over the death of Alexei Navalny and repeating the Secretary General’s calls for a “full, credible, and transparent investigation” into the cause of Navalny’s death.

2023

On 12 July the Executive Council adopted a decision establishing an Open-Ended Working Group on geographical representation in preparation for the Fifth Review Conference.

2020

On 9 July, the OPCW Executive Council (EC) adopted a decision condemning the possession and use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Arab Republic and requesting certain measures from the Syrian Arab Republic to address the situation.

2018

On 4 April, the Executive Council met to discuss an incident of alleged chemical weapons use in Salisbury. The government of the United Kingdom requested assistance from the Technical Secretariat in investigating the matter.

On 16 April, the Council met to discuss an incident of alleged chemical weapons use in Douma, the Syrian Arab Republic, which took place on 7 April, 2018. During the meeting, the Technical Secretariat announced plans to send experts from the Fact Finding Mission (FFM) to the site of the alleged incident.

2017

On 9 March, the Executive Council adopted a decision expressing “grave concern” over the use of Schedule 1 chemical weapon VX in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to kill Kim Jong Un’s half-brother Kim Jong-nam, while expressing appreciation for Malaysia’s investigation into the matter.

On 13 April, the Council met to discuss the alleged use of chemical weapons in Khan Shaykhun in Syria.

On 13 October, the Council expressed concern over the potential for non-state actors to use chemical weapons.

2016

On 24 February, the Executive Council (EC) met to discuss the destruction of the remaining Schedule 2 chemical weapons in Libya. The decision adopted by the Council called for States Parties to provide support to the destruction efforts.

On 23 March, the Council adopted a decision expressing concern over “gaps, inconsistencies, and discrepancies” in Syria’s declaration of their remaining chemical weapons. As such, the Council adopted a further decision on 11 November to conduct inspections on sites where there are allegations of chemical weapons use, storage, or delivery.

On 26 August, the Council adopted a detailed plan for the destruction of Libya’s’ remaining Schedule 2 chemical weapons outside the territory of Libya.

2023-2022

2023

In January and April a reduced team was sent to Syria to conduct limited in country activities (LICA) in order to access the Syrian Arab Republic’s chemical weapons declarations.

The 5th Review Conference (R-5) of the Chemical Weapons Convention was held from 15-19 May in the Hague, the Netherlands.

On 7 July, the OPCW confirmed the destruction of the last remaining declared chemical weapon stockpile, which was located in the US.

The 28th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CSP-28) to the CWC was held in the Hague, Netherlands from 27 November to 1 December. At the Conference, States Parties adopted a decision imposing further collective measures on the Syrian Arab Republic due to its “continued possession and use of chemical weapons,” as well as “its failures to submit an accurate and complete declaration and to destroy all of its undeclared chemical weapons and production facilities.” These measures include preventing the sale of toxic chemicals and their precursors to Syria and supporting international accountability efforts.

2022

On 24 and 31 January the Technical Secretariat released the results of the fact-finding mission (FFM) in Syria investigating the potential use of chemical weapons in Marea and Kafr Zeita. In both cases, the FFM found “reasonable grounds” to conclude that chemical weapons were used.

The 27th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CSP-27) to the CWC was held in The Hague, Netherlands from 28 November to 2 December.

On 12 April, the Technical Secretariat released a statement on the situation in Ukraine, expressing concern over reports of chemical weapon use in Mariupol.

On 29 April, the OPCW celebrated the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the CWC.

On 31 May, the Technical Secretariat exchanged correspondence with the Syrian Arab Republic to address issues with their declaration previous chemical weapons activities. In their response, Syria did not provide the requested documents.

2021-2020

2021

On 30 November, States Parties to the CWC re-appointed H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias of Spain as Director-General of OPCW for his second term.

The 26th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the CWC opened in The Hague, Netherlands on 29 November.

On 21 April, the 25th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the CWC adopted a decision to suspend certain rights and privileges of the Syrian Arab Republic due to chemical weapons activity, including suspension of the right to vote in the Conference and the Council, to stand for election to the Council, and to hold any office of the Conference, the Council, or any subsidiary organs.

On 3 March, the OPCW released correspondence between the OPCW Technical Secretariat and the Russian Federation. In it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asked the OPCW to comment on an article published by Swiss scientist Vitaly Kozak which provides alternative explanations for Alexei Navalny’s illness. The OPCW declined to comment.

2020

On 18 February, the OPCW launched a new online reporting system, the Electronic Declaration Information System (EDIS), designed to aid national authorities and the chemical industry. This system digitizes the reporting obligation under articles III and IV of the CWC.

On 8 April, the OPCW released the first report by the newly established Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) which concluded that the Syrian Arab Air Force participated in the use of chemical weapons in Ltamenah, Syria in March 2017.

During the ninety-fourth session of the Executive council, held 7-10 July, the Council adopted a decision entitled “Addressing the Possession and Use of Chemical Weapons by the Syrian Arab Republic.” The decision condemns the use of chemical weapons reported by the IIT, calls for full Syrian cooperation with the Secretariat, and calls for the declaration of facilities where the chemical weapons used in March 2017 were developed, produced, stockpiled and stored, as well as the declaration of all the chemical weapons currently possessed by the nation.

On 2 October, the Fact Finding Mission (FFM) issued two reports on the investigation of the alleged use of chemical weapons in Saraqib, Syria in August 2016, and in Aleppo in November 2018. The results of analysis of the data collected by and made available to the FFM did not allow the FFM to determine whether chemicals were used as a weapon in these instances.

On 6 October, the Technical Secretariat released a report on the technical support activities provided by the technical secretariat to Germany in the wake of Alexei Navalny’s poisoning on 20 August. The report indicated that Mr. Navalny was exposed to a toxic chemical acting as a cholinesterase inhibitor. Biomarkers found in Mr. Navalny’s system showed that the agent used against him, while not listed in the CWC Annex, held structural characteristics similar to those of the Novichok agents in schedules 1.A.14 and 1.A.15.

The Executive council held its ninety-fifth session October 6-9 to address the implementation of the CWC. The session addressed the updates to the OPCW fact-finding mission in Syria, among other issues.

On 21 December, the OPCW published correspondence between the OPCW Technical Secretariat and the Russian Federation. In this correspondence, the Russian Federation requested that the Technical Secretariat dispatch a team of experts to Russia to further examine the Alexei Navalny poisoning. The Technical Secretariat replied that a team of experts could be dispatched, as long as necessary legal requirements were met and Mr. Navalny’s consent was obtained.

2019-2018

2019

During the 24th Conference of States Parties, two decisions (C‑24/DEC.4 and C‑24/DEC.5) were adopted, adding four additional entries to the list of Schedule 1 (A) chemicals under the Convention. The chemicals included two families of Novichok agents, an individual Novichok agent, and two families of carbamates.

On 8 January, the OPCW announced they had acquired information regarding alleged use of chemical weapons in Aleppo, Syria on 24 November 2018. In accordance with CWC obligations and procedures, the OPCW dispatched a team to collect more information and in early January launched an official Fact-Finding Mission (FFM).

On 1 March, the Fact-Finding Mission on alleged Chemical Weapons use in Douma, Syria, in 2018 issued their report concluding that a chemical weapon, likely chlorine, had been used on 7 April 2018.

On 7-9 September, a delegation from the OPCW visited to the People’s Republic of China to oversee the on-going efforts by authorities to destroy chemical weapons abandoned by Japan. Of the 76,300 of declared items, 53,500 items have been destroyed as of May 2019.

On 5 November, the Director-General addressed the UN Security Council on the present work of the OPCW related to incidents of chemical weapon use in Syria.

From 25-29 November, the Twenty-Fourth Session of the Conference of the States Parties took place in the Hague, Netherlands. The conference oversees implementation of the CWC, considers issues related to the CWC, and evaluates compliance.

On 27 November, for the first time since the establishment of the OPCW, the States Parties to the CWC adopted two amendments to the Annex on Chemicals to the Convention. The two amendments proposed by the U.S., Canada, and Netherlands and Russia, respectively, add a set of Novichok agents which aid chemists in identifying structural features in a chemical weapons context. The Direct-General stated that while small, these amendments are important to “demonstrate the adaptability of the Convention to changing threats while enhancing the OPCW’s ability to remain vigilant.”

2018

On 11 January, OPCW Director General Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü praised the complete destruction of Libya’s Category 2 chemical materials at a chemical weapons destruction facility in Germany.

On 13 March, OPCW Director General Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü congratulated Iraqi officials on the complete destruction of the remnants of the country’s chemical weapons program, including the destruction of the country’s former chemical weapons production facilities.

On 9 April, the OPCW expressed “grave concern” over the alleged chemical weapons attacks in Douma, Syria on 7 April. The OPCW planned to deploy a Fact Finding Mission to Douma to investigate the allegations.

On 12 April, the OPCW released an issues report in regards to the possible chemical weapons incident in Salisbury, England on 4 March.

On 13 June, the OPCW confirmed that both sarin and chlorine were used in chemical weapons attacks in Ltamenah, Syria, on 24 and 25 March 2017.

On 21 June, the State of Palestine joined the OPCW.

From 26 to 28 June, the Fourth Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties was held in The Hague. The Conference improved measures to ensure compliance with the Convention, and reviewed scientific developments that could affect the Convention.

On 6 July, the OPCW released an interim report from the Fact-Finding Mission reports on alleged chemical weapons use in Douma, Syria in 2018 and in Al-Hamadaniya and Karm Al-Tarrab in 2016.

On 13 July, the OPCW received a request for assistance from the U.K. regarding the incident in Amesbury. The OPCW will make an independent assessment of the alleged substance used in the incident.

On July 25, the OPCW appointed Ambassador Fernando Arias of Spain as the new Director-General. Ambassador Arias succeeds Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü of Turkey.

Beginning 21 November, the Twenty-Third Session of the Conference of the States Parties took place in the Hague, Netherlands with the purpose to craft the objectives and goals of the OPCW for the next five years.

2017-2016

2017

On 17 January, the OPCW’s Fact Finding Mission in Syria transmitted its reports regarding alleged August 2016 chemical weapons attacks to the UNSC. Their findings stated that it was possible a chemical weapons attack happened, though it could not state with certainty what chemical might have been used.

On 27 March, the OPCW released a report regarding the elimination progress of the Syrian Chemical Weapons Program. The report stated that the Secretariat verified the destruction of 24 out of 27 chemical weapons production facilities declared by Syria. The report also reaffirmed the total destruction of chemical weapons declared by Syria in 2014.

On 4 April, the OPCW released a statement stating their “serious concern” over the alleged chemical weapons attack in Southern Idlib, Syria, and that the OPCW’s Fact Finding Mission would gather and analyze information on the alleged attack.

On 19 April, the OPCW Director General Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü shared “incontrovertible laboratory results” that indicate the chemical weapons attack in southern Idlib, Syria were composed of Sarin or a Sarin-like substance.

On 30 June, the OPCW released a report confirming that people were exposed to sarin during the 4 April 2017 attack on Khan Shaykhoun, Syria.

On 11 October, OPCW Director General Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü congratulated a representative of the Russian Federation for the completion of Russia’s entire declared chemical weapons stockpile of 39,967 metric tons.

On 1 December, South Sudan announced that the State has concluded the process to join the OPCW.

2016

On 4 January, a US firm contracted by the OPCW completed the destruction of a number of hydrogen fluoride cylinders, marking the complete destruction of all declared chemical weapons by the Syrian Arab Republic.

On 24 February, the Executive Council held its 51st meeting. The meeting was convened to discuss the destruction of the remaining Category 2 chemical weapons in Libya. A decision was reached on Libya’s remaining chemical weapons stockpile.

On 3 March, the European Union donated €4.6 million to OPCW Special Missions and the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism. The funding will aid OPCW Special Missions in Syria.

On 7-11 March, the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW and the National Authority of the Kingdom of the Netherlands organized the “Training Course for Representatives of National Authorities of States Parties Involved in Fulfilling Article VI Obligations under the CWC.”

On 15-18 March, the Executive Council held its 81st Session. At the conclusion of the session the Council released a report on gaps in Syria’s chemical weapons transparency.

On 18-22 April, the Scientific Advisory Board held its 23rd Session. The Scientific Advisory Board identified emerging technologies as a topic for discussion at upcoming Review Conferences.

On 4-5 May, twenty-one Eastern European states and forty-five members of civil society, academia, and nongovernmental organizations pledged to support OPCW education and outreach efforts related to implementation of the CWC.

On 12-15 July, the Executive Council held its 82nd Session on the implementation of the OPCW in 2015. The Council addressed the progress on the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons and related facilities.

OPCW Director General Ahmet Üzümcü released a series of statements regarding allegations of chemical weapons use in Syria on 3 September, 7 September, and 13 December. Director General Üzümcü emphasized that the “use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances [is] reprehensible.”

On 25-28 October, the Scientific Advisory Board held its 24th Session. The Scientific Advisory Board addressed verification technologies, emerging technologies, and new equipment.

On 28 November – 2 December, the OPCW concluded its 21st session of the Conference of the States Parties.

On 11 November, the Executive Council adopted a decision on the OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism condemning the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

2015-2014

2015

On 4 January, a US firm contracted by the OPCW completed the destruction of a number of hydrogen fluoride cylinders, marking the complete destruction of all declared chemical weapons by the Syrian Arab Republic.

On 24 February, the Executive Council held its 51st meeting. The meeting was convened to discuss the destruction of the remaining Category 2 chemical weapons in Libya. A decision was reached on Libya’s remaining chemical weapons stockpile.

On 3 March, the European Union donated €4.6 million to OPCW Special Missions and the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism. The funding will aid OPCW Special Missions in Syria.

On 7-11 March, the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW and the National Authority of the Kingdom of the Netherlands organized the “Training Course for Representatives of National Authorities of States Parties Involved in Fulfilling Article VI Obligations under the CWC.”

On 15-18 March, the Executive Council held its 81st Session. At the conclusion of the session the Council released a report on gaps in Syria’s chemical weapons transparency.

On 18-22 April, the Scientific Advisory Board held its 23rd Session. The Scientific Advisory Board identified emerging technologies as a topic for discussion at upcoming Review Conferences.

On 4-5 May, twenty-one Eastern European states and forty-five members of civil society, academia, and nongovernmental organizations pledged to support OPCW education and outreach efforts related to implementation of the CWC.

On 12-15 July, the Executive Council held its 82nd Session on the implementation of the OPCW in 2015. The Council addressed the progress on the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons and related facilities.

OPCW Director General Ahmet Üzümcü released a series of statements regarding allegations of chemical weapons use in Syria on 3 September, 7 September, and 13 December. Director General Üzümcü emphasized that the “use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances [is] reprehensible.”

On 25-28 October, the Scientific Advisory Board held its 24th Session. The Scientific Advisory Board addressed verification technologies, emerging technologies, and new equipment.

On 28 November – 2 December, the OPCW concluded its 21st session of the Conference of the States Parties.

On 11 November, the Executive Council adopted a decision on the OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism condemning the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

2014

On 7 January, the OPCW announced that the first batch of priority chemicals was removed from Syria. The chemicals were transported from Syria on a Danish ship that left from the port of Latakia. The transfer of chemicals was overseen and verified by the OPCW-UN Joint Mission in Syria after several security-related delays.

On 9 January, Germany confirmed to the OPCW that it would destroy around 370 metric tons of effluent, which will be generated by the hydrolysis of 560 metric tons of Syria’s stockpile of mustard gas on the U.S. ship MV Cape Ray.

On 13-16 January, the OPCW held a workshop on Schedule 1 facilities in Madrid, Spain. The workshop allowed 38 personnel in all 17 Schedule 1 facilities to communicate their experiences, concerns, and best practices.

On 16 January, Italy agreed to allow usage of the port of Gioia Tauro for trans-loading Syrian priority chemicals from the Danish ship it was initially transported on to the U.S. ship the MV Cape Ray.

On 20 January, the OPCW received proposals from 14 private companies in France, UK, China, Russia, Switzerland, Finland, United States, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Belgium to destroy 500 metric tons of Syria’s commodity chemicals, as well as the effluent that will be generated by the hydrolysis process during neutralization of the chemicals. The bids were received in response to a “Call for Proposals for Transport, Treatment and Disposal of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Organic and Inorganic Chemicals, Effluents and Related Materials.”

On 24 January, the OPCW announced that Canada will voluntarily contribute roughly 6.6 million Euros to the Trust Fund for destroying Syria’s chemical weapons, as well as an additional $5 million CAD for neutralization operations on board the U.S. vessel the MV Cape Ray. Prior to Canada’s contribution, Member States have provided 13 million Euros to the Trust Fund for destroying Syria’s Chemical Weapons.

On 31 January, the OPCW Director-General expressed a need for the Syrian authorities and the OPCW-UN Joint Mission to “pick up” the pace with the removal of chemicals from Syria if deadlines are to be met. He also expressed concern that the Syrian government has not yet provided the OCPW with a timeframe for their assistance in the removal of chemicals from their country.

On 4 February, Libya’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdulaziz announced that, as of 26 January 2014, Libya destroyed the rest of the mustard gas that was filled in artillery and bombs. Libya destroyed its bulk mustard in 2013. When Libya joined the CWC in January 2004, they declared their possession of almost 25 metric tons of chemical agents. It will start the destruction process of its chemical precursors soon with an intended deadline to complete the process by December 2016.

On 10 February, the OPCW announced that a third shipment of chemical weapons left Syria on board on a Norwegian cargo vessel that was accompanied by a naval escort from China, Denmark, Norway, and Russia. The UK will be participating in the escort in international waters, while Finland has experts onboard the Danish escort ship.

On 14 February, the OPCW Director-General unveiled the names of the companies awarded contracts in keeping with the Call for Proposals for Transport, Treatment and Disposal of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Organic and Inorganic Chemicals, Effluents and Related Materials. The companies given the contracts were Ekokem OY AB (Finland) and Veolia Environmental Services Technical Solutions, LLC (USA).

On 17 February, the European Union (EU) and OPCW finalized a contract for the donation of €12 million from the EU to finance the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons at commercial facilities outside the country, adding this sum to the €22.7 million donated voluntarily to the Syria Trust fund by OPCW States Parties.

On 25 February, Japan finalized a donation of €13.5 million to the Syria Trust Fund to support the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.

On 26 February, Syria transported a quantity of sulfur mustard, one of the five “priority chemicals” in the states chemical weapons programme, to the port of Latakia to be destroyed at sea aboard a U.S. ship.

On 4 March, the Syrian Republic submitted a revised proposal to the OPCW with the mission of complete removal of chemicals from the country by the end of April 2014. One more shipment of sulfur was moved through Latakia, with a separate quantity of Priority 1 chemicals also planned to arrive at the port, increasing the total number of movements to six thus far. These two shipments bring the total percentage of removed chemicals to 26%, with 23% of Priority 1 and 63% of Priority 2 chemicals moved. The OPCW also verified that Syria had destroyed 93% of its isopropanol. The Director-General declared that all prerequisite materials and equipment for expeditious removal of chemicals had been provided to Syria.

On 7 March, the Executive Council issued a consensus report which “positively noted” the increased speed with which the Syrian chemical stockpile was being depleted, verifying that nearly 29% of chemicals had been removed, but also urging Syria to accelerate its efforts and collaborate with the Joint Mission. Syria once again presented a revised plan for complete removal by 27 April 2014 and the Council asked the Director-General to develop a destruction plan for chemical weapons production structures and to send a Technical Secretariat team of experts to implement said plan.

On 20 March, the OPCW announced that 49.3% (11 shipments) of the Syrian chemical stockpile had been removed from the country. The deadline for completion of this removal was set for 30 June 2014.

From 17-21 March, the OPCW and the National Authority of Chile organized a basic course for specialists on response to chemical warfare. This course was a component of a project in the Latin American and Caribbean region to develop the protective capabilities of State Parties in response to incidents involving toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and chemical weapons.

From 1-2 April, the OPCW and the UK jointly held the first meeting of National Emergency Coordinators in Bridgetown, Barbados to create a chemical response capacity in the Caribbean Region.

On 4 April, the OPCW confirmed that the 12th shipment of chemicals had left Latakia; the Director-General emphasized the need to expedite the process in terms of both speed and increased volume.

On 14 April, at the port of Rota in Spain, the OPCW and U.S.A. co-hosted visiting NGOs and international media aboard the MV Cape Ray, the American ship being used to remove the chemical weapons stockpile from Syria through the port of Latakia. In the aim of demonstrating the safety and security measures aboard the ship, Rear Admiral Bob Burke presented to the journalists on the maritime and hydrolysis technology on board the Cape Ray.

Also on 14 April, the OPCW confirmed that the Syrian government had brought the 13th and 14th shipments of chemical weapons to Latakia, these loads being received and immediately boarded on 10 and 13 April, respectively. These raised the total percentage of removed chemicals to 65.1% of total and 57.4% of Priority 1 chemicals.

On 19 April, the OPCW confirmed that approximately 80% of Syria’s chemical weapon stockpile had been removed or destroyed in-country.

On 29 April, the OPCW announced a new mission to investigate facts concerning allegations of chlorine use in Syria. Syria’s government accepted this mission and pledged to provide security in areas that it controls.

On 22 May, the OPCW’s Director-General welcomed Syrian authorities’ complete destruction of the declared isopropanol stockpile but underlined the need to quickly and efficiently remove the remaining chemicals so as to begin the destruction process. Nearly 8% of Syria’s declared stockpile, some 100 metric tons of chemicals, remains at a single site due to security concerns in the surrounding area. Technical consultations on the destruction of structures that contained 12 chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) are ongoing. The Director-General announced that the OPCW fact-finding mission for chlorine gas allegations in Syria was preparing itself for on-site procedures.

On 27 May, the OPCW and UN mission investigating the alleged chlorine gas attack came under attack while traveling to the site of the alleged attack. All team members survived safe and unscathed after the attack, and the Director-General reiterated the importance of cooperation to ensure the safety of the mission.

On 6 June, the Norwegian ship Taiko departed for Finland and the United States, on its way to deliver the shipment of chemicals designated to be destroyed in those two states. The Danish ship Ark Futura will assume the responsibility for the transportation of the remaining 8% of chemicals.

On 17 June, the OPCW’s fact finding mission was unable to visit Kafr Zeta, location of a potential CW attack in northern Syria, due to security issues, but nonetheless determines that chlorine gas was used in earlier attacks.

On 23 June, OPCW Director General Uzumcu announced the removal of the last 8% of Syria’s chemical weapons, shipped from the port of Latakia on the Danish ship Ark Futura, and further states these chemicals will be destroyed within four months.

On 2 July, 600 metric tons of chemical weapons were loaded onto the Cape Ray at the Italian Gioia Tauro port.

On 21 July, the OPCW announced ~32% of the chemical weapons stockpiles has been destroyed and that all chemical weapons have reached facilities for destruction in Finland, the United States, the United Kingdom, or the Cape Ray.

On July 24, the OPCW announced the destruction of seven Syrian hangars used as part of the country’s chemical weapons program, and an additional five bunkers will be permanently sealed.

On 13 August, the OPCW announced 581 metric tons of a sarin gas precursor chemical was neutralized on the Cape Ray, and that operation would begin to neutralize sulfur mustard.

On 19 August, the Cape Ray finished the destruction of 600 metric tons of Syrian chemical weapons and precursor chemicals. The OPCW announced that the Cape Ray would next transport the effluent (waste existing a chemical reactor) to Finland and Germany for disposal in land-based facilities.

On 28 August, the OPCW announced that 94% of the total Syrian stockpile is destroyed, and 100% of all Category I chemicals declared by Syria are verified as destroyed. This includes 1,040 tons of chemicals.

On 10 September, the OPCW fact-finding mission reported “compelling confirmation” that chlorine gas was used as a chemical weapon in Syria, stating that descriptions of witness, physical properties, behavior of the gas, and signs and symptoms resulting from exposure were consistent with the use of chlorine gas. The Director-General asked the fact-finding mission to continue its work in answer to allegations in August of further use.

On 30 September, the OPCW-UN Join Mission on the elimination of Syrian chemical successfully weapons fulfilled its mandate and completed its operations in Syria. Further clarification on the Syrian declaration and destruction of chemical weapons productions facilities will be continued by the OPCW mission in Syria.

On 5 December, the OPCW concluded its 19th Session of the Conference of the States Parties. The conference was composed of 132 States Parties in addition to a number of NGOs and specialized agencies. The conference report indicated the status of implementation of the CWC.

2013-2012

2013

From 8 to 19 April, the Third Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention was held at the World Forum in The Hague. The conference concluded with the successful adoption by consensus of a two-part final document. The political declaration confirms the commitment of the States Parties to the ban on chemical weapons. The second part included a comprehensive review of CWC implementation since the 2008 Review Conference and priorities in preparation for the next Review Conference.

On 6 May Libya completed the destruction of its sulfur mustard agent. This brings the total amount of Category 1 chemical weapons destroyed by Libya to 22.3 metric tons, nearly 85% of Libya’s declared stock. Libya has also completed destruction of its remaining Category 3 weapons.

On 29 May Somalia became the 189th State Party to the CWC. The treaty entered into force for Somalia on 28 June.

On 1 June Al Qaeda operatives were arrested in Iraq after attempting to create chemical weapons to be used in attacks against Europe and the United States. Five men were arrested by Iraqi security with aid from foreign intelligence.

On 4 June an UN report confirmed four uses of chemical weapons during attacks on Khan Al-Asal, Aleppo, 19 March; Uteibah, Damascus, 19 March; Sheikh Maqsood neighbourhood, Aleppo, 13 April; and Saraqib, Idlib, 29 April. However, the precise weapons used, delivery systems, or perpetrators were not clear and remain under investigation.

On 7 June the 16th International Chemical Weapons Disarmament Conference opened. The Director-General of the OPCW opened the event with an update on the current stockpiles of chemical weapons. According to the OPCW almost 81% of Category 1 chemical weapons, 52% of Category 2 weapons, and all Category 3 weapons have been destroyed.

On 14 September, Syria declared that it will join the OPCW and have its chemical weapons destroyed, depositeding its instrument of accession to the CWC with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the same day.

On 27 September, the OPCW Executive Council adopted a decision on the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons. In addition, the UN Security Council endorsed the expeditious destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme.

On 1 October, an OPCW-UN advance team arrived in Damascus to begin the process of overseeing the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme. The team consists of 19 OPCW inspectors and 14 UN staff members. Upon arrival, the team established a logistics base for this work. The deadline for the entire elimination of the chemical weapons stockpile is the first half of 2014.

On 6 October, the process to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons began under the supervision of experts from the OPCW, supported by the United Nations. A team of international inspectors from the OPCW-UN will verify and report on Syria’s compliance with international demands,

On 8 October, the OPCW announced that it will deploy a second team of inspectors to Syria to assist the first team of experts in the verification and destruction of chemical weapons. Furthermore, the Director-General stated that he will sign a supplementary agreement between the OPCW and the UN to facilitate the provision of security and field and logistics support by the UN for the joint OPCW-UN mission.

On 11 October, the second group of OPCW inspectors and more UN staff arrived in Damascus. The team began the process of verifying the information given to them by the Syrian government.

On 11 October, the OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for its efforts in the dismantling and destroying of Syria’s chemical weapons. The Director-General of the OPCW made a statement in honor of this event. The DG thanked States Parties for their support and efforts and expressed his hopes in continuing the work of the OPCW.

On 14 October, Syria’s accession to the CWC entered into force. It is the 190th State Party to join the treaty.

On 16 October, the OPCW-UN Joint Mission was established to allow for close consultations between the Director-General of the OPCW and the Secretary-General of the UN. The special coordinator of this joint mission is Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands.

On 27 October, Syria submitted its initial declaration and general plan for the destruction of its chemical weapons programme. This would provide a basis for a well-planned systematic, total and verifiable destruction of the chemical weapons. The first monthly report of the Joint Mission has been submitted to the States parties and forwarded for submission to the UN Security Council.

On 28 October, the Joint Mission announced verification activities at 21 out of 23 chemical weapon-related sites as declared by Syria.

On 31 October, the OPCW-UN Joint Mission confirmed that the Syrian government has completed the functional destruction of critical equipment for all of its declared chemical weapons production facilities. The Mission inspected 22 of the 23 sites and 39 of the 41 facilities located in those sites.

On 7 November, the OPCW-UN team overseeing the destruction of Syria’s weapons stockpiles confirmed the verification of 22 of the 23 sites disclosed by Damascus. All verification was done with the support of sealed cameras used by Syrian personnel as per the inspection team’s guidance.

On 15 November, the OPCW adopted a plan for destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme in the first half of 2014. The plan would provide a clear roadmap to set milestones to be met by Syria. According to the plan, the most critical chemicals would be transported out of Syria by 15 December 2013 with all declared chemicals to be out of Syria by 05 February 2014. The declared facilities will undergo destruction from 15 December 2013 to 15 March 2014. In regards to activities outside Syria, the destruction of the priority chemical weapons will be completed by 31 March 2014 and other declared chemical materials by 30 June 2014. Furthermore, the Syrian government has a mandate to destroy all unfilled munitions by 31 January 2014.

On 2 December, the Eighteenth Session of the Conference of States Parties commenced in The Hague under the Chairmanship of Ambassador Dr. Sa’ad Abdul Majeed Ibrahim Al-Ali of Iraq. Several States Parties made statements discussing the universality of the treaty as well as the verification of the treaty. Most countries also commented on the accession of Somalia and Syria and hoped that the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons would continue to take place in a timely fashion. Additionally, Ambassador Ahmet Uzumcu was re-appointed for a second term as OPCW Director-General.

On 5 December, the Islamic Republic of Iran was unanimously elected at the Eighteenth Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Executive Council of the OPCW.

On 18 December, OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu submitted a plan for destroying Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal outside of the country to the OCPW Executive Council. This plan intends to meet prior deadlines set by the Council to destroy Syria’s priority chemicals by 31 March 2014 and other (mostly commodity) chemicals by 30 June 2014.

2012

On 17-19 January, the OPCW sent inspectors to Libya to verify chemical weapons stockpiles that were disclosed after the fall of the Qadhafi regime. Libya was required to present a comprehensive plan and date for the destruction of the stockpiles.

On 26 January, the Technical Secretariat conducted a briefing for OPCW Permanent Representations in Brussels. The briefing included details on the legal framework required for the national implementation of the CWC, and on the international assistance provided by the OPCW to assist states in capacity building to improve their implementation of the CWC.

On 23 March, the OPCW Executive Council and Director-General met with officials in Moscow concerning issues related to the CWC. The delegation also toured a new chemical weapons destruction facility being built at Kizner, Udmurtia oblast. The Russian Federation has destroyed more than 60% of its stockpiles, according to the Kremlin. This is faster than initially expected.

In March, OPCW inspectors inspected their 1,000th “Other Chemical Production Facilities” (OCPFs) site as classified under Article VI of the CWC. The 1000th site inspection was conducted at an industrial plant in France.

From 16-19 April, the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) met in its 18th session at OPCW headquarters. The SAB discussed scientific and technological elements of verification methodologies, emerging technologies and new equipment, and Scheduled chemicals and the Annex on Chemicals. The Board also began work in preparation for the Third Review Conference to be held in April 2013.

From 16-20 April, the OPCW held the first “Advanced Regional Assistance-and-Protection Course on Chemical Emergency Response” for States Parties in Latin America and the Caribbean in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

On 24 April, Canada made a voluntary contribution to support efforts of the Libyan Government to resume and complete the destruction of its remaining stockpile of chemical weapons, the largest-ever donation to the OPCW.

29 April 2012 marks the passing of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) deadline for possessors of chemical weapons to eliminate their stockpiles. However, the United States maintains that it has destroyed 90 percent of its stockpile and will destroy the remaining 10 percent “as soon as practicable.”

On 22 May, OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü addressed the 15th and final international Chemical Weapons Demilitarisation (CWD) Conference, hosted by the United Kingdom’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. This event marked the passing of the 29 April 2012 deadline for possessors of chemical weapons to eliminate their stockpiles, and celebrated the global progress in chemical weapons destruction.

In June, the Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) for preparation of the Third Review Conference of the States Parties of the Chemical Weapons Convention to review the operation of the Convention held its first meeting.

On 2 October, a high-level meeting was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York commemorating the 15th anniversary of the OPCW. The meeting was designed to renew the commitment of the international community to the Convention’s aims and objectives.

On 26 to 30 November, the 17th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CSP-17) was held in The Hague.

2011-2010

2011

The 16th Session of the Conference of the States Parties took place on 4-7 October.

On 28 February through 4 March, an OPCW Executive Council delegation visited the United States’ Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant in Colorado and the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Utah. The visit was pursuant to the decision made at the 11th Session of the Conference of States Parties to visit chemical weapon destruction facilities in order to “consider progress and efforts towards achieving complete destruction in accordance with the provision of the Convention, and any measures being taken to overcome possible problems in a destruction program.” In December 2006, the United States extended its deadline for the complete destruction of its Category 1 chemical weapons to 29 April 2012, and 84.29% of the declared stockpiles have been destroyed.

On 11 March, in light of ongoing unrest in Libya, the OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü spoke with the Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya with regards to the physical security of the remaining chemical weapons awaiting destruction. He who notified Ambassador Üzümcü that “in accordance with the information he has received from Tripoli,” plans to destroy Libya’s chemical weapons remain “unchanged and under control.”

U.S. media reported that as of 5 May, the stockpile of chemical warfare materials at the Umatilla Chemical Depot in Oregon had been reduced to 1,000 bulk containers filled with mustard blister agent. These represent 38 percent of the initial mustard stockpile at Umatilla.

Over 99 percent of the site’s arsenal, including all nerve agents, has been destroyed. The remaining containers are being processed steadily, and total destruction of all chemical agents will likely be complete in November.

On 13 April, the OPCW hosted the 2nd General Meeting of Chemical Weapons Convention Coalition at the Technical Secretariat. NGOs from 14 different countries attended the meeting along with delegates from six State Parties to the Convention. Representatives from NGOs had an opportunity to also attend a 2-day seminar on the OPCW’s Contribution to Security and Nonproliferation of Chemical Weapons. The meeting addressed the necessity of promoting the universality and implementation of the Convention and of improving internal communication, and it discussed the Coalition’s 2011 work plan. Ahmet Üzümcü, the OPCW Director-General, took the opportunity to speak of the future challenges presented to the Organization regarding the enforcement of the CWC.

As of 20 April, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had conducted 2,000 inspections of chemical industry facilities. The organization is authorized to inspect 4,913 industrial sites spread among its 188 member states. It has also conducted more than 4,000 inspections of roughly 200 chemical weapon-related sites.

On 6 and 9 May, the Executive Council of the OPCW issued concerns regarding the CW stockpiles in Libya and the 15 May deadline for destroying the state’s mustard agent cache.

On 16 May, Libya requested an extension of the destruction deadline of its mustard agent cache.

On 31 May, Russian State Duma international affairs committee head Konstantin Kosachyov said Moscow has set 31 December 2015, as the target date for elimination of the nation’s entire arsenal of chemical warfare agents. The CWC requires that Russia destroy its chemical arsenal, which originally weighed in at roughly 40,000 metric tons, by April 2012. Moscow has declared that operations would be completed at an unidentified point in 2015.

The Russian government announced that, by 30 May, it had eliminated slightly more than half of its original chemical stockpile of approximately 40,000 metric tons of chemical warfare materials.

On 2 June, Russia announced that it has pushed back the date for eliminating its entire arsenal of chemical warfare agents to December 31, 2015. The CWC calls for Russia to destroy its chemical stockpile by April 2012, but last year Moscow declared that the process would be completed at an unidentified point in 2015. Russia will not be penalized for its delay, since the United States has also set itself a new deadline of 2021.

On 24 June five inspectors from Slovakia, Russia, Netherlands, Mongolia and China confirmed the culpability of the weapons stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, Kentucky and assured their compliance with the CWC.

On 28 September, Libyan sources informed the OPCW that measures to control stockpiles of seized chemical weapons were being undertaken. The stocks were previously declared by the former Qadhafi regime in compliance with the CWC.

On 4 November, the OPCW dispatched an inspection team to Libya to determine whether any diversion of sulfur mustard agent or precursor chemicals had taken place. Upon investigation, the inspection team confirmed that the full stockpile remained intact.

On 23 November, the OPCW and Government of Singapore jointly organized the 2nd Regional Training Course on Emergency Response to Chemical Incidents for Asian states parties to the CWC. The agenda ranged from a basic introduction to protective equipment for use against toxic chemicals to monitoring, detection, and decontamination techniques. Eighteen States Parties attended the training exercise.

On 28 November to 2 December, the 16th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention took place. Libya, the Russian Federation, and the United States notified the OPCW that they will not meet the April 2012 deadline laid out in the Chemical Weapons Convention for the destruction of declared chemical weapons. The countries remain committed to the destruction of the stockpiles, and the deadline has been extended. A new policy was developed for chemical industrial inspections, including guidelines for determining the number of inspections. The new policy allowed for gradual scaling from the current 209 yearly inspections to 241 yearly inspections in 2014. Inspections also began to employ a revised selection method that targets facilities that are of most concern to the convention. Finally, the Conference adopted a decision on an agreed framework for implementing Article XI, and calls upon the Executive Council to explore additional measures to fully implement Article XI provisions.

On 5 December, the OPCW signed a bilateral agreement on the procurement of assistance with Peru. The agreement outlines the type of assistance that Peru can offer through the OPCW. Specifically, it states that Peru, if requested, can supply up to 3 emergency response teams of varying specialties in the event that a State Party to the CWC requests assistance against the use, or threatened use, of chemical weapons.

2010

On 14-15 December, a new advisory panel on the future priorities of the OPCW convened for a first meeting in The Hague. The meeting, chaired by Ambassador Rolf Ekeus of Sweden, will convene several more times in the following year to produce a final report. Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü announced the creation of the panel at the 15th Session of the Conference of State Parties.

The 15th Session of the Conference of the States Parties took place from 29 November-3 December in The Hague. Ambassador Julio Roberto Palomo Silva of Guatemala served as Chairperson, while Ambassador Vaidotas Verba of Lithuania served as Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole. Representatives from Bolivia, Chile, Iran, Italy, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the United States served as Vice-Chairpersons. At the Conference, OPCW Director General Ahmet Üzümcü announced that 63% of the world’s declared amounts of chemical warfare materials had been eliminated through the CWC implementation. The director general also called on States Parties to continue their efforts to meet the April 2012 deadline for the destruction of chemical weapon stockpiles. However, the conference recommended that the OPCW Executive Council maintain informal discussions on meeting the final deadline. The Conference also decided to grant Libya an extension of the intermediate deadline for the destruction of its Category 1 chemical weapons. The Conference also elected 21 Member States to the Executive Council for a term of two years starting on 12 May 2011. These Member States included: Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, and the United States.

On 22-23 November, the OPCW hosted a Preparatory meeting table-top exercise on the preparedness to prevent terrorist attacks. Fifty participants from OPCW member states attended the exercise.

2009-2008

2009

Iraq acceded to the Convention on 13 January, and the Bahamas ratified the Convention on 21 April.

With the addition of the Bahamas as a State Party, the number of remaining states not Party to the Convention was reduced to seven: Angola, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, Israel, Myanmar, Somalia, and Syria.

On 30 November-4 December, the 14th Session of the Conference of State Parties convened. In attendance were 122 of the 188 States Parties to the CWC, Israel and Myanmar as signatory observers, 8 IGOs, and 30 NGOs and chemical industry associations. Ambassador Vauditas Verba of Lithuania was elected chairperson.

In the Conference’s final report, the Conference noted a report from the Technical Secretariat on the status of implementation of Article VII obligations, pursuant to a decision made at the 13th Session.

The Conference also considered a report made by the Director-General on the progress made by States Parties that were granted extensions of deadlines for their Category 1 chemical weapons at the 11th Session. It was noted with concern that the final deadline of 29 April 2012 may not be fully met. As of 1 December 2009, over 48% of chemical weapons stockpiles remain to be destroyed. A decision was adopted to extend the intermediate and final deadlines for the destruction of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya of its Category 1 chemical weapons.

Also, the Conference adopted a decision on the universality of the Convention and the further implementation of the universality action plan.

Finally, the Conference appointed Mr. Ahmet Üzümcü as the Director-General of the Technical Secretariat for a term of office beginning 25 July 2010 through 24 July 2014.

2008

Congo’s status as a member state was made official on 1 March.

The Third Special Session of the Conference of States Parties was convened on 7 April to amend the Rules of Procedure so that the chairmanship of special sessions would rotate on a geographically equitable basis.

Guinea-Bissau acceded to the convention on 20 May. Lebanon acceded to the CWC on 20 November, and the instrument of accession entered into force 30 days later.

The 13th Session of the Conference of States Parties took place from 2-5 December, with 126 States Parties participating. Israel participated as a signatory observer, and Iraq and Lebanon participated as non-signatory observers. The Conference failed to adopt a final report as consensus could not be reached on text regarding the progress made by States Parties that have been granted extensions of deadlines for destroying chemical weapons.

A decision was adopted for the Technical Secretariat to provide an annual report on the status of implementation of Article VII obligations to the Executive Council. The decision also requested that the Council submit this report to the 14th Session of the Conference.

2007-2006

2007

The 12th Session of the Conference of States took place 5-9 November. It was chaired by Abuelgasim Abdelwahid Sheikh Idris, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Sudan to the OPCW.

The Conference approved the OPCW’s Programme and Budget for 2008. It was the third consecutive year that the OPCW has agreed to a zero nominal growth budget.

It adopted a decision to continue with the Action Plan on the Universality of the Convention and made plans for the 14th Session to review the results and implementation of this Action Plan.

The Conference also elected 20 new members of the 41-member OPCW Executive Council for a two-year term that started on 12 May 2008.

2006

The 11th Session of the Conference of States Parties took place 5-8 December. The session was chaired by Ambassador Alfonso Dastis of Spain.

Based on recommendations of the Executive Council, the Conference approved requests by State Parties Albania, India, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America to extend interim and final deadlines for destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles.

The Conference approved a decision establishing a mechanism to encourage States Parties that are in arrears of their dues to pay their outstanding contributions. The Conference amended a decision made at a Special Session of the Conference in 2003 regarding the tenure policy of the organization.

The Conference adopted a decision regarding the implementation of an action plan aimed at achieving universality of the convention. In accordance with an Executive Council recommendation, the Conference extended the work of the Open Ended Working Group for the establishment of an OPCW Office in Africa.

The Second Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention convened 7-18 April 2008 to review the activities and implementation of the convention since its entry into force. In preparation for this event, the OPCW and a specially designated working group reviewed the CWC and its implementation to date.

2005-2004

2005

The following states ratified/acceded to the CWC: Niue (21 April), Grenada (3 June), the Kingdom of Cambodia (19 July), the Kingdom of Bhutan (18 August), the Republic of Honduras (29 August), Antigua and Barbuda (29 August), the Republic of Vanuatu (16 September), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12 October).

On 7-11 November, the 10th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention took place. The session was chaired by Jose Antonio Arróspide from Peru. The Conference unanimously approved the renewed appointment of Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter as Director-General of the OPCW.

The Conference urged all states and the Secretariat to intensify their universality-related efforts with a view to increasing the number of States Parties to at least 180 by the end of 2006 and to achieving the universality of the convention 10 years after its entry into force. The Conference decided to continue with the action plan and to review progress of that plan at its Eleventh and Twelfth Sessions.

The Conference also recommended that the Executive Council at one of its sessions establish an open-ended working group to begin, in cooperation with the Secretariat, preparations for the Second Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which took place in April 2008.

The Conference also recommended to the Executive Council the establishment of an ad hoc, open-ended working group to examine a proposal to establish an OPCW office in Africa.

The Conference endorsed a proposal for the establishment of a Day of Remembrance of all victims of chemical warfare to be observed each year on 29 April, the anniversary of the entry into force of the CWC. The Conference also endorsed the dedication in The Hague of a permanent memorial to these victims.

2004

The following states have ratified/acceded to the CWC: Libya (5 February), Tuvalu (18 February), Rwanda (30 April), Saint Kitts and Nevis (21 May), Marshall Islands (18 June), Solomon Islands (23 September), Sierra Leone (30 September), Madagascar (20 October).

The 9th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention took place from 29 November to 2 December. The session was chaired by Krzysztof Paturej of Poland. In addition to its 120 members, the Conference also included five international organizations, specialized agencies, and other international bodies for the purpose of consultation. Signatory states Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Honduras, and Israel also participated. Iraq was admitted as an observer.

Conference discussion was based on recommendations represented in the report of the Executive Council of its activities between 28 June 2003 and 2 July 2004.

The Conference considered and adopted the Executive Council recommendation on the inclusion of an additional item on the list of approved equipment (C-9/ Dec.5). The Conference determined that the device, an environmental temperature logger, is essential to the safe maintenance of medical kits and laboratory work.

Participants also considered and adopted a recommendation to clarify the concept of “captive use” as it pertains to declarations of production and/or consumption of chemicals (C-9/Dec.6). The clarification, which defines the conditions under which certain chemicals may be produced and disposed, seeks to better enable the convention to meet its obligations of verification as listed in the Verification Annex to the convention.

The Conference further decided in favor of granting extensions to the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Albania in their effort to destroy Category 1 chemical weapons stockpiles. The Conference also granted a request by the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to convert chemical weapons facilities for purposes not listed by the convention but found to be consistent with its tenants.

Before closing the session, the Conference elected 21 members to serve on the Executive Council for a new two-year term. They also considered and adopted the 2005 budget plan. Finally, the Conference underlined the importance of international cooperation in the field of chemical activities. International cooperation and assistance activities, the Conference noted, encourage and expedite concrete proposals and are considered a core objective of the organization.

2003-2002

2003

Afghanistan deposited its instrument of ratification to the Convention with the Secretary General of the United Nations on 24 September 2003.

The 8th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention was convened from 20-24 October 2003. The Eighth Session of the Conference was chaired by Ambassador Noureddine Djoudi of Algeria. Delegations from 116 member states (including the contracting states Kyrgyzstan and Cape Verde) attended the Conference. Chad, Iraq, Israel and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya participated in the Conference as observer states.

The Conference noted the report of the Executive Council on the performance of its activities from 17 July 2002 to 27 June 2003. Ambassador Petr Kubernat of the Czech Republic introduced the report and the recommendations of the Council that required the attention of the Council. The following is a list of considerations made by the Conference in accordance with the recommendations made by the Council:

• Considered and adopted a decision on a request by the Russian Federation for an extension of the intermediate and final deadlines for the destruction of its Category 1 chemical weapons.
• Considered and adopted a decision on a request by a State Party for an extension of the intermediate deadline for the destruction of its Category 1 chemical weapons stockpiles.
• Considered and adopted a decision on a request by the United States for an extension of the intermediate and final deadlines for the destruction of its Category 1 chemical weapons.

2002

On 25 July, the First Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties reconvened to consider and to make a decision on the recommendation of the Executive Council to appoint Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter of Argentina as the Director-General of the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW. The Conference of the States Parties appointed Ambassador Pfirter by acclamation. The new Director-General’s four-year term of office commenced immediately upon his appointment. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Pfirter, a lawyer and a career diplomat, was the Under-Secretary for Foreign Policy in the Ministry of External Relations, International Trade and Worship, Argentina.

The 7th Session of the Conference of States Parties was held from 7-11 October in The Hague. The Conference, attended by 109 States Parties, adopted the 2003 OPCW’s program of work and budget. The 2003 OPCW budget was increased, for the first time in four years, by around 10 percent, resulting in a significant increase in Verification and International Cooperation and Assistance Programs. The Conference adopted a number of other policy decisions including a decision to grant an extension of the Russian Federation’s obligation to meet two of the Convention’s intermediate deadlines for the destruction of one percent and of 20 percent of its Category 1 chemical weapons stockpiles; a decision to grant an extension of another State Party’s obligation to meet the Convention’s timeline of April 2003 for the destruction of 20 percent of its chemical weapons stockpile; the adoption of requests for the conversion of nine former chemical weapons production facilities at Volgograd and Novocheboksarsk in the Russian Federation to peaceful purposes; a decision on guidelines for declarations of aggregate national data for the production, consumption, import, and export of Schedule 2 chemicals and for import and export of Schedule 3 chemicals.

The Conference also elected 21 new members to the 41-member Executive Council for a two-year term, which commenced on 12 May 2003. The Conference agreed that the First Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention would be held in The Hague from 28 April-9 May 2003.

2001-2000

2001

The 6th Session of the Conference of the States Parties was held from 14-18 May in The Hague. The Conference was attended by 108 States Parties with Ambassador H. Reimann of Switzerland serving as the chair of the Conference. Since the Fifth Session, 10 new States Parties had joined the Organization, and the full program of work for 2000 had been completed. Inventory had been taken of all 70,000 tons of declared chemical weapons, nearly 20 percent of the declared munitions and containers had been destroyed, and more than half of the declared chemical weapons production facilities world-wide had been certifiably destroyed or converted to peaceful purposes. The OPCW’s Director-General, José M. Bustani, announced that the implementation of the Convention was working smoothly. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, praised the progress of the OPCW in implementing the Convention’s provisions, and expanding its activities. He called attention to the importance of garnering the full support of States Parties for the OPCW, especially to provide the necessary resources.

The most important decisions adopted by this session of the Conference were the program of work and budget for 2002, and a request from the Russian Federation for the conversion of a former chemical weapons production facility in Dzerzhinsk for peaceful purposes. The necessity of attaining the universality of the CWC was also endorsed. In addition, the Conference approved the relationship agreement with the United Nations, which had been signed at UN Headquarters in New York on 17 October 2000. The agreement was submitted to the UN General Assembly for approval in its 2001 session. The relationship agreement provides an opportunity for more intensive cooperation between the two organizations in areas of common interest, especially in the area of disarmament.

The Conference adopted a decision on the transfer of Schedule 3 chemicals to states that are not party to the Convention. This decision requires that end-use certificates be prepared when Schedule 3 chemicals are exported to states not party to the CWC, if the product to be exported contains 30 percent or more of a Schedule 3 chemical. An end-use certificate is not required for products identified as consumer goods packaged for commercial or individual purposes. Also prohibited is the re-transfer of Schedule 3 chemicals by the receiving states.

In regard to the budget, the Conference examined the cause of the Organization’s inability to collect the full amount of its budgeted income in 2000 and 2001. It requested that the Executive Council determine a solution for the structural deficiencies in the budget. As an exceptional one-time measure, the Conference authorized the Secretariat to retain the 1999 cash surplus, instead of redistributing it to States Parties. The Conference also called for voluntary contributions, to ensure that sufficient resources would be available to the OPCW to effectively carry out its operational mandate. In spite of the Organization’s funding problems, Mr. Bustani reiterated his intention to enhance program delivery, particularly in the areas of international cooperation and inspections. In addition, he praised the Conference’s recognition that operational activities would increase significantly in the coming few years.

2000

The OPCW stated on 25 January that the world’s declared stockpiles of 70,000 tons of chemical weapons and more than eight million munitions and bulk containers had been inspected by OPCW inspectors, and were subject to a stringent international verification regime. Three of the four countries that had declared possession of chemical weapons were now actively destroying them under the continuous scrutiny of OPCW monitoring teams. All of the 60 declared chemical weapons production facilities around the world had been inspected and sealed. Of these, 20 had been certified as destroyed, and five had been approved for conversion to peaceful purposes. To prevent the proliferation of chemical weapons, a stringent industrial verification regime had been put in place, involving inspections of facilities that produce or consume “dual-use” chemicals that could be used for both peaceful purposes and to create chemical weapons. By 11 May, more than 4,000 tons of chemical agents had been destroyed. Over a million chemical bombs, shells, and rockets had been destroyed. OPCW staff had made more than 700 inspections in 35 countries, including 460 visits to weapons storage and destruction sites and over 240 inspections of industrial chemical plants since the entry into force of the Convention. The Organization’s routine verification activities gave no indication that States Parties were not in full compliance with their fundamental obligations under the CWC, notwithstanding certain implementation-related inconsistencies and technicalities, which continued to occur. However, they were being addressed and corrected. To sum up, there was at the time no evidence to suggest that the essence of the CWC was not being upheld.

The 5th Session of the Conference of States Parties held in The Hague from 15-19 May reappointed the Director-General of the OPCW Mr. José Bustani for a second term of four years starting 13 May 2001. The OPCW reported considerable success in efforts to ban the production, stockpiling, or use of chemical weapons. More than 4,000 tons of chemical agents and over a million chemical bombs, shells, and rockets had been destroyed. OPCW staff had made more than 700 inspections in 35 countries, including 460 visits to weapons storage and destruction sites and over 240 inspections of industrial chemical plants. The Conference also recommended extending the deadline for Russia to destroy one percent of its chemical weapons. The Conference also approved a number of requests from Russia and the United Kingdom for the conversion of former chemical weapons production facilities to peaceful purposes. Delegates also welcomed two new members to the OPCW, Malaysia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which joined the organization on 20 May.

In October, the OPCW signed a relationship agreement with the UN. Both organizations undertook, inter alia, to explore possibilities for cooperation in the provision of assistance if chemical weapons are used in the future. The agreement addresses the fostering of international cooperation in relation to the peaceful use of chemistry, and will thus contribute to economic and technological development. The CWC is among the 25 multilateral treaties identified by the UNSG as core treaties for the new millennium. The signing of this relationship agreement is accordingly expected to initiate a significant enhancement and intensification of the everyday relationship between the two organizations in the pursuit of their shared goals of enhanced security and peace.