The members of the ABAF are appointed by the Executive Council. They participate in the work of the Advisory Body in their individual capacity (not as representatives of their respective governments) and at no cost to the OPCW. Since its inception the ABAF has had 16 members.The mandate of the ABAF is set forth in Article 15 of the OPCW's Financial Regulations as follows:

(a) examine and report on the draft programme and budget [...];
(b) examine and report on the preliminary estimates for the following year's budget [...];
(c) examine and report on any supplementary budgetary proposals [...];
(d) when feasible, consider and comment on any budgetary transfers, that is on the shifting of funds from one part of the budget to another [...];
(e) if appropriate examine and comment on the status of the OPCW's investments [...];
(f) where appropriate, examine and comment on the internal oversight/audit reports;
(g) examine and report on the OPCW's audited financial statements, including the External Auditor's report and opinion thereon;
(h) examine and report on the financial regulations, rules and amendments thereto, as submitted by the Director-General; and
(i) advise and comment on any other administrative and financial matters when appropriate.

The ABAF has exercised these functions since its founding in 1997, and has been particularly active with respect to budgetary matters.

Subsidiary body of the Executive Council(1).

OFFICERS
Chairman: Mr Hadi Farajvand (Islamic Republic of Iran)
Vice Chairman: Mr Peter Beerwerth (Federal Republic of Germany)

MEMBERS
China Mr Zhang Shen, Second Secretary, Permanent Representation of the People’s Republic of China to the OPCW, The Hague
Czech Republic Mrs Libuše Pechatá, Ministry of Finance, Prague
Germany Mr Peter Beerwerth, Deputy Head of National Authority, Bureau for CW and BW Affairs, Federal Foreign Office, Bonn
India Mr Vijai Sharma, Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, New Delhi, India
Islamic Republic of Iran Mr. Hadi Farajvand, Deputy Secretary, The Secretariat of National Authority of Chemical Weapons Convention, Tehran
Italy Mr Gianpaolo Malpaga, Attaché, Permanent Representation of the Italian Republic to the OPCW, The Hague
Japan Mr Takayuki Kitagawa, First Secretary, Permanent Representation of Japan to the OPCW, The Hague
Pakistan H.E. Mr Sibte Yahva Naqvi, Permanent Representation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the OPCW, The Hague 
Poland Mr Michal Szlesak, c/o Delegation of Poland to the OPCW, The Hague
Republic of Korea Mr Dong-gy Lee, Second Secretary, Permanent Representation of the Republic of Korea to the OPCW, The Hague
Russian Federation Mr Vladimir Alekseevich Iossifov, Deputy Director, Department of International Organisations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moscow 
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Mr Damian Brewitt, Permanent Representation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the OPCW
United States of America Mrs Emily Spencer, Permanent Representation of the United States of America to the OPCW

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1. Established by the Executive Council to fulfil the functions specified in Regulation 15.1 of the OPCW Financial Regulations (EC-II/DEC.1, dated 30 June 1997).