SECURITY COSTS AND ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH

THE USE BY THE OPCW OF FACILITIES AT

THE NETHERLANDS CONGRESS CENTRE

1. Introduction

The OPCW intends to use facilities at the Netherlands Congress Centre (NCC) for two primary purposes during the next several years. First, as its primary conference centre for the conduct of the annual session of the Conference of the States Parties. Secondly, as a parking facility to supplement the underground garage provided with the new OPCW building. There are security implications for the use of NCC facilities, and associated costs. The following information describes the security requirements for each of the above-mentioned two primary uses, and the methods and cost implications to the OPCW.

2. Conference centre

2.1 During the First Session of the Conference of the States Parties, the Host Country provided parking at no cost to the OPCW. The cost to the Host Country included leaving the parking garage underneath the Staten Hall empty for the first week, for security reasons, and providing the second NCC garage to the OPCW for parking by delegates to the session of the Conference. After the first week, when the security threat was deemed to be lower, the Host Country continued to provide delegates with parking at no cost to the OPCW in the garage underneath the Staten Hall.

2.2 The cost to the OPCW of securing the NCC during the First Session of the Conference included posting guards at the entrances of the parking garages to control access, as well as providing a guard patrol inside the NCC garage to protect vehicles from theft, burglary and tampering. Additionally, the OPCW provided a significant guard force to provide control of the exterior above-ground parking areas to the Staten Hall, as well as of the above-ground parking court behind the NCC. The OPCW also funded guards posted at all entrances to the NCC facilities in use for the session of the Conference. These guards provided access control, and monitored several dozen fire exits throughout the NCC which had to be left open for emergency use (they are not used for conference purposes). Because the NCC facility was used only partially by the OPCW, guards were also required to monitor the doors and areas that connected to adjoining areas, many of which also had to be left open for emergency purposes.

2.3 The Host Country's law enforcement and security agencies provided traffic control around the NCC during the first week of the First Session of the Conference, as well as a limited security presence outside the facility to monitor activities which might pose a threat to the OPCW. During the remaining weeks of the First Session of the Conference, Host Country security was limited to emergency response and a limited routine presence. No significant incidents were reported or noted during the First Session of the Conference. The cost to the OPCW of its share of the security was approximately NLG 500,000, not including the cost of fixed-term staff.

External vs. internal security

2.4 The OPCW has good relations with Host Country security agencies, and anticipates that, after the move to the new OPCW building, support for external security will meet the needs of the Organisation for that facility. There is, however, one area which remains unresolved regarding security for the OPCW when it uses NCC facilities. As a commercial facility, the NCC provides its clients with a certain level of security. However, this is a minimal security presence, and is altogether insufficient for the requirements of an international organisation with a sizeable diplomatic presence. When the OPCW leases spaces inside the NCC, or is provided with them by the Host Country, there is a dilemma concerning responsibility for the security of the external boundaries to the OPCW areas. Because the areas outside rooms leased by the OPCW are "external" to the OPCW, but "internal" to the NCC, the areas are not secured by Host Country security. For example, the OPCW intends to lease the Prins Willem Alexander Hall for the Third Session of the Conference of the States Parties. To provide the basic level of security to protect delegates, dignitaries, and senior diplomats, the large meeting room beneath the Prins Willem Alexander Hall and the surrounding areas needs to be secured. These external areas require Host Country security support to control public access. In summary, the OPCW has essentially no external security inside the NCC when it leases NCC conference facilities. Aside from the cost to the OPCW of attempting to provide such protection, the use of OPCW contract security guards to enforce external/public security is a questionable practice. Security guards have limited authority to interact with the public, and even less authority to interact with NCC patrons not affiliated to the OPCW.

3. Parking facility for OPCW building

3.1 A letter of intent exchanged between the OPCW and the NCC provides that, once the new OPCW building is completed, the Organisation will be provided with 165 parking spaces in the NCC underground garage for use by staff and visitors. Specific costs and terms of the agreement are expected to be finalised before the OPCW occupies its new building in February 1998.

3.2 The NCC does not presently maintain a permanent security guard force capable of providing protection for OPCW vehicles parked in the NCC garage. Historically, OPCW staff and delegates have parked in the NCC underground garage when using the facilities now leased by the Organisation (the Carel Willink Hall). There were incidents during these periods when vehicles belonging to delegates or staff were broken into. Most recently, during this Second Session of the Conference of the States Parties, a staff member's vehicle was broken into by a professional thief using specialised burglary equipment.

3.3 While the cost of leasing the 165 parking spaces from the NCC has yet to be determined, funding for the cost of security for these spaces has not been addressed. One option, discussed in the past, was for a small proportion of these spaces (fifty) to be located inside a secure, fenced area inside the garage. The cost of constructing such an area would be significant, and the additional cost of maintaining and monitoring such a system would also be considerable if it were actually to be an effective security perimeter. This option would neither provide security for the remaining 115 parking spaces, nor would it provide any protection for users walking to and from the OPCW building in connection with use of the underground parking garage.

4. Possible solutions

Conference centre security

4.1 Regardless of the exact conference facilities leased in the NCC beginning in 1998, the sessions of the Conference of the States Parties require the following security:

(a) external security (outside the areas leased by the OPCW, including the areas remaining inside the NCC which are not used by the Organisation), to be provided by the Host Country. This must include exclusion zones to protect the conference from the risks associated with explosives placed in vehicles, adjoining rooms, garages, etc. It must also provide control of public access to the facilities leased by the OPCW.

(b) sufficient OPCW funds to provide internal security at a level which would accommodate access control, emergency exit monitoring (this is extensive due to the design of the NCC), and other security services. The funding currently allocated in the 1998 budget for this item (NLG 75,000) is only 15% of the amount required for the First Session of the Conference of the States Parties, and must also fund all other conferences and meetings held in 1998. It does not include any funding to secure parking garages. This amount would have to be increased to a minimum of NLG 125,000, and the general conference budget should also allow for the leasing of adjoining areas and underground garages which would pose a security threat if they were to be used simultaneously by other non- OPCW groups.

Parking facility for OPCW building

4.2 For the NCC parking garage to be secured adequately to minimise the threat from criminal activity to staff and delegate vehicles, the following options should be resorted to, either individually or in combination with each other:

(a) the NCC would employ a security patrol and/or a continuously monitored remote camera system in the areas where the OPCW will park, and where pedestrians will enter/exit the garage en route to and from the OPCW building. Alternatively, the OPCW could install a camera system which would be monitored in the 24-hour Security Control Centre (in the new OPCW building itself). The cost of such a camera system would vary, depending on the location of the parking spaces provided to the OPCW. An estimate, based on parking spaces in the area closest to the OPCW building, is that the initial installation of such a system by the OPCW would cost NLG 175,000, with an estimated annual maintenance/replacement cost of NLG 25,000. A shared use system (both the NCC and the OPCW would be able to monitor the cameras simultaneously) might provide for cost-sharing of such an installation, if the NCC were interested in this. Without a security guard patrol, the video surveillance system would still be reliant on the OPCW contacting the NCC to respond to a suspected theft in progress. The cost of one 24-hour contract security guard in the parking spaces would amount to approximately NLG 405,000 annually. This amount is not included in the 1998 OPCW security budget. Whether it is advisable for the OPCW to patrol commercial spaces shared with the NCC and also used by the public, is a matter that would require review;

(b) the garage areas used by the OPCW would have to be considered as part of the area for which the Host Country assumes responsibility for external security to the Organisation. Depending on the level of commitment, a camera system which could be monitored by either the NCC, the OPCW, or the local police department might still be required;

(c) the NCC would provide a dedicated security presence, and the cost of leasing the 165 parking spaces would include an amount for security. Optionally, the NCC or OPCW would construct a perimeter for the entire 165 spaces, which would be secured with cameras and access control gates.

5. Conclusion

A decision is required to implement one or some of the above options, in preference to maintaining the status quo. The next session of the Conference of the States Parties is scheduled for November 1998, but planning for the security arrangements and for the scheduling of the facilities which must be leased to properly protect that session of the Conference is already underway. Use of the underground garage for supplemental parking at the new OPCW building, with appropriate security arrangements, will be needed in mid-February 1998.

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