VISA PROCEDURES FOR OPCW

INSPECTORS AND INSPECTION ASSISTANTS

The Conference

Recalling that the Commission, in PC-XIV/29, paragraph 8.3, approved the visa procedures for OPCW inspectors and inspection assistants annexed to PC-XIV/A/WP.7, as amended in subparagraph 5.2 of PC-XIV/A/3,

Bearing in mind that the Commission recommended in paragraph 47.2 of its Final Report that the Conference adopt the above-mentioned visa procedures for OPCW inspectors and inspection assistants,

Hereby:

Decides that, in respect of visa procedures for OPCW inspectors and inspection assistants, the process of visa issuance should reflect the clearance given by a State Party to inspectors and inspection assistants, and should be considered a logical consequence of that clearance. The preliminary list of potential inspectors and inspection assistants containing the information required in accordance with paragraph 1 of Part II A of the Verification Annex, as well as the national visa application form, would be provided to the States Parties at entry into force (EIF) of the Convention. It is understood that this activity is undertaken to facilitate the process of visa issuance and is separate from the procedures that are obligatory under paragraph 1 of Part II A of the Verification Annex. Since the issuance of visas for those inspectors and inspection assistants of the OPCW accepted by the State Party is an obligation articulated by the Convention, each State Party should instruct its relevant authorities to process visas in accordance with paragraph 10, Part II B of the Verification Annex, within 30 days after receipt of the list of inspectors and inspection assistants has been acknowledged.

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