OPCW

Conference of the States Parties

 Second Session

C-II/DEC.2

 1 - 5 December 1997

1 December 1997

  

Original:  ENGLISH

DECISION

ATTENDANCE AT THE SECOND SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS, SPECIALISED AGENCIES, OTHER INTERNATIONAL BODIES AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS

AND STATUS OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS

The Conference

Bearing in mind Rules 31 - 33 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference of the States Parties,

Hereby:

1. Approves the participation in the Second Session of the Conference of the States Parties of the international organisations, specialised agencies and other international bodies listed in annex 1 hereto;

2. Invites the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) listed in annex 2 hereto to attend the Second Session of the Conference; and

3. Decides to accord to the invited NGOs the following status:

(a) NGOs will be responsible for all expenses relating to their attendance at the Second Session of the Conference;

(b) representatives of NGOs may be invited, subject to the decision of the Conference, to attend public meetings of the plenary sessions of the Conference;

(c) NGOs will be issued with name tags, which must be worn within the Netherlands Conference Centre (NCC);

(d) the names of NGOs will not appear on desks/tables in the conference rooms;

(e) NGOs will not have the right to address meetings of the Conference; and

(f) NGOs may place literature for distribution only at designated places outside the conference rooms in the NCC.

Annexes (English only)

Annex 1

LIST OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS, SPECIALISED AGENCIES

AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL BODIES

INVITED TO ATTEND THE SECOND SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)*

International Bureau of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)*

International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)*

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)*

· * Background information was provided to States Parties before the First Session of the Conference of the States Parties.

Annex 2

LIST OF NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS INVITED TO ATTEND THE

SECOND SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE

* Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, UK

* Green Cross - Legacy Programme, Basel

* Harvard Sussex Program

* IALANA - International Association of Lawyers against Nuclear Arms, The Hague

* IFUW - International Federation of University Women, Geneva

* Mountbatten Centre for International Studies, Southampton

* PRIF - Peace Research Institute Frankfurt

* World Veterans Federation, Paris

* Participation in the First Session of the Conference of the States Parties.

Background Information

1.

Name of Organisation : Department of Peace Studies

University of Bradford

City : Bradford

Country : United Kingdom

Contact person : Mr Simon M. Whitby

Activities : Publications pertaining to disarmament

Financial resources : Not specified

Membership : 20 academic staff

The Department of Peace Studies is one of the leading centres for the study of peace and conflict. It has expanded rapidly in recent years and as its brochure states "it is now the world's largest university for peace studies". It was founded in 1973 and now has about 20 members of academic staff including two full professors - Paul Rogares and Malcolm Dando -and about 300 students. The Department of Peace Studies has been very active in considering all aspects of the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and has contributed numerous articles on various aspects of both the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Its work is very much aimed at strengthening the international norms against both chemical and biological weapons.

2.

Name of Organisation : Green Cross International (GCI) Legacy Programme

City : Basel

Country : Switzerland

Contact person : Dr Stephan Robinson

Activities : See below

Financial resources : Chemtrust programme

Membership : 16 million affiliates

Green Cross International (GCI) is a global, non-aligned networking organisation working in the area of environment and sustainable development. It creates partnerships to promote global value change. Multi-sectoral dialogue is the basic GCI principle for implementing sustainable projects. It therefore acts as an open forum, bringing together decision-makers and grassroots movements from all sectors of society (NGOs, business and other groups) in a unique platform. GCI was initiated at the Rio de Janeiro Summit in 1992 and was officially launched in Kyoto, Japan, on 20 April 1993 under the leadership of GCI President, Mikhail S. Gorbachev.

In addition to other international programmes, since 1994 GCI has been running the "Legacy Programme," which addresses issues resulting from the arms race during the Cold War. One component of the Legacy Programme is "Chemtrust" - a joint initiative of the American, Russian and Swiss Green Cross. Chemtrust tries to further chemical weapons disarmament through bringing together all sectors involved in the chemical weapons disarmament process, and serving as a non-partisan mediator helping to solve issues of conflict. Regular discussion partners are different ministries in the USA, the Russian Federation, and Switzerland. GCI has organised several hearings and roundtable discussions on the national CWD programmes in Saratov, Izhevsk, Washington and Indianapolis.

3.

Name of Organisation : Harvard Sussex Program

City : Brighton

Country : United Kingdom

Contact person : Mr Daniel J. Feakes

Activities : Research, publications ( including the CWC Bulletin )

Financial resources : Not specified

Membership : Not specified

The Harvard Sussex Program (HSP) is an international collaborative program of research and communication that seeks to enhance international awareness and understanding of public policy issues associated with chemical and biological weapons. Its aim is to promote the global elimination of CB weapons and to strengthen the constraints against hostile uses of biomedical technologies. The program has a particular focus on the implementation of the two global CBW disarmament anti-proliferation treaties; the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, and the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

The HSP is directed jointly from Harvard University in the United States and the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. The HSP conducts, sponsors and otherwise, encourages scholarly research within a wide range of CBW topics and publishes a quarterly journal entitled the "Chemical Weapons Convention Bulletin". In this Bulletin a section is devoted to a report on the progress made in the work of the Technical Secretariat. The HSP also convenes the Pugwash Study Group on Implementation of the Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions and participates in international specialist seminars and workshops. The program supports researchers in Brussels and in The Hague at the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

4.

Name of Organisation : International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA)

City : The Hague

Country : Netherlands

Contact person : A. van den Biesen

Activities : See below

Financial resources : Not specified

Membership : Not specified

IALANA is an NGO in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and has affiliates in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, India and Bangladesh. Its main objective is the development and strengthening of the international legal order in the field of disarmament, particularly delegitimising the use and threat of nuclear weapons. At present IALANA is involved in four main projects : the World Court Project; the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention; the Limitation and Abolition of International Arms Trade (LAIA); and the Hague Appeal for Peace 1999 (HAP '99).

5.

Name of Organisation : International Federation of University Women (IFUW)

City : Geneva

Country : Switzerland

Contact Person : Dr Jans Gremmée-Schaafsma

Activities : International conferences, workshops and seminars; study and action programme with a common theme chosen by the membership; international fellowships open to members; training programmes

Financial Resources : Contributions from members

Membership : 67 national associations comprising more than 180,000 women graduates

The IFUW is an international non-profit women's organisation founded in 1919 with aims, maintained to this day, which include the promotion of peace. Comprised of national federations and associations, local branches and individual members, the IFUW offers educated women opportunities to reach their full potential with responsibility to contribute to society. The mission of the IFUW is to empower women and girls through education and development for leadership, locally, nationally and globally. The IFUW has consultative status with the UN ECOSOC.

6.

Name of Organisation : Mountbatten Centre for International Studies, University of Southampton

City : Southampton

Country : United Kingdom

Contact person : Mr Ian Kenyon

Activities : See below

Financial resources : Secure in its own right with funding and project grants from foundations

Membership : Not specified

The Mountbatten Centre is a multi-disciplinary research centre in the Department of Politics at the University of Southampton, with a proven record of research, publications and networking in international security and non-proliferation for weapons of mass destruction. The centre is headed by Professor John Simpson, who is himself a member of the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters.

7.

Name of Organisation : Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)

City : Frankfurt

Country : Germany

Contact person : Dr Alexander Kelle

Activities : Research in areas of world order / world conflict, security in Europe, development and nation building, political psychology, social and peace education; publications.

Financial resources : Financed by the State of Hesse and foundations in Germany and other countries

Membership : 30 full-time and over 40 part-time personnel

The PRIF was established in 1970 by the government of the German Federal State of Hesse as a foundation under public law. It operates as a research institute from its base in Frankfurt. The PRIF's research interest focuses on the possibility of dealing with international conflicts without the application of military force. Through its research publication the PRIF keeps politicians and society at large informed about the kind of conditions that have to be created and the decisions that have to be taken in order to promote peace as a process of decreasing violence and increasing justice. Current areas of studies include the achievement of world-wide arms control and disarmament, in particular strategies for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; weapons in space and missile defence. The PRIF at the beginning of last year decided to expand its non-proliferation project into areas of chemical and biological weapons. So far, a PRIF report on the CWC and its implementation has been published. Another publication was prepared to be ready by entry into force of the Convention. Further a chapter on the CBW has been included in the PRIF yearbook in order to keep the German audience up to date with the development in these two important fields.

8.

Name of Organisation : World Veterans Federation

City : Paris

Country : France

Contact person : Messrs J.F.H. Loos, W. Paulis

Activities : See below

Financial resources : Not specified

Membership : 27 million, associations in 74 countries

One of the statutory objectives of the WVF is to maintain international peace and security through the application of the Charter of the United Nations, through respect for human rights and fundamental liberties contained in the Declaration on Human Rights. One of the most important areas of interest of the WVF has been disarmament and, more particularly, weapons of mass destruction. Through its members and associations in various countries, the WVF is active in informing authorities and public opinion on the Convention. The WVF has consultative status with the Social and Economic Council of the UN. A current goal is to promote action by those countries which have not yet ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention.

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