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REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL
REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE STATES PARTIES AT ITS FOURTH
SESSION ON ENSURING THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION
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Recalling its previous recommendations (C-II/DEC.11,
dated 5 December 1997, and C-III/DEC.9, dated 20 November 1998), the
Conference of the States Parties (hereinafter the "Conference"),
at its Fourth Session, adopted a recommendation on ensuring the universality
of the Chemical Weapons Convention (C-IV/DEC.22, dated 2 July 1999),
urging all states which have neither ratified nor acceded to the Convention
to do so without delay. The Conference recommended that the States
Parties and the Director-General continue to make every effort to
encourage all states, in particular those states believed to possess
chemical weapons, which have neither ratified nor acceded to the Convention,
to do so as soon as possible.
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States Parties were encouraged to promote the achievement
of the common objectives of the Convention in order to create a cooperative
atmosphere which could encourage other countries to join the Convention.
The Conference requested the Director-General to submit a report on
the implementation of the recommendation to the Fifth Session of the
Conference of the States Parties.
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The efforts undertaken by the Director-General personally,
and by officials from the Secretariat since the Fourth Session of
the Conference to ensure the universality of the Convention include:
raising the profile of the universality issue in speeches and other
public statements; making direct, high-level contacts with States
not party, both in writing and in face-to-face meetings, as well as
a range of other contacts with officials representing States not party;
the organisation of regional workshops and seminars in which representatives
of States not party have also participated; and attendance at meetings
of regional organisations and other disarmament-related conferences
which include among their membership States not party to the Convention.
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Where possible, Secretariat officials established
contacts with representatives of signatory and non-signatory States
at disarmament forums and at meetings of multilateral treaties in
the field of international security. During these meetings, the Secretariat
offered help in the drafting of legislation, advice on ratification/accession
procedures, and encouraged those states to send representatives to
regional seminars and workshops. Through the Participation Support
Project, the Secretariat has been in touch with delegations from capitals
other than The Hague concerning OPCW activities, in order to brief
them periodically on developments with respect to the Convention and,
through them, to encourage their authorities to move forward towards
ratification of or accession to the Convention.
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Bilateral contacts were pursued
with States not party which subsequently ratified or acceded, in order
to encourage or assist with those processes – as in the case
of visits by officials of the Secretariat to Kazakhstan, the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia and, in the period before the Fourth Session
of the Conference, to Azerbaijan. Meetings were also held with officials
of States Parties at which universality issues were raised (e.g. in
Switzerland in relation to Liechtenstein; in several countries in
South America in relation to States not party in Latin America and
the Caribbean; in Singapore in relation to the Association
of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN); and in Australia and New Zealand in relation to
countries in the South Pacific).
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The efforts undertaken by States Parties "to
promote the achievement of the common objectives of the Convention
in order to create a cooperative atmosphere which could encourage
other countries to join the Convention" include: the extent to
which States Parties have implemented the full range of obligations
under the Convention; the participation of representatives of many
States Parties in activities organised by the Secretariat, as outlined
above, as well as through their organisation of or participation in
other courses and exercises conducted by or in cooperation with the
Secretariat (e.g. National Authority training courses, regional meetings
of National Authorities and other regional forums and workshops, challenge
inspection and investigation of alleged use exercises, inspector training
courses, etc.); and through the assistance provided by individual
States Parties in the conduct of national courses and visits to both
States Parties and States not party.
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A list of relevant activities of the Director-General
and Secretariat officials that were specifically directed at ensuring
the universality of the Convention, or which included a significant
element directed to that end, is annexed hereto. In addition, the
Director-General has consistently emphasised the importance of achieving
the universality of the Convention in his statements to Sessions of
the Executive Council held during the period since the Fourth Session
of the Conference; in speeches delivered during official visits to
a number of States Parties, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil,
Chile and Switzerland; and in other statements, including in his statement
issued during the meeting of the First Committee of the United Nations
General Assembly in New York in October 1999. During that visit to
New York, in their meetings with representatives of 23 signatory and
14 non-signatory States, the Director-General and senior officials
of the Secretariat called for their speedy ratification or accession.
During his discussions with representatives of the Netherlands and
of all the permanent members of the Security Council, the Director-General
emphasised the desirability of their close involvement in the drive
towards the universality of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The Director-General
also met the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan,
the Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Louise Fréchette, the Under Secretary-General
for Disarmament Affairs, Mr Jayantha Dhanapala, and the Chairman of
the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr Raimundo
Gonzalez, and requested their help in the task of ensuring the universality
of the Convention.
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In September 1999, the Director-General also wrote
to the Foreign Ministers of most signatory and non-signatory States,
urging their Governments to adhere to the Convention, and reminding
them of the consequences of non-adherence, in terms of the trade restrictions
on Schedule 2 chemicals which have become effective since the end
of April 2000. Copies of this correspondence were handed to relevant
representatives of signatory and non-signatory States during most
of the meetings held in New York.
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Since the Fourth Session of the Conference, a total
of nine countries have ratified or acceded to the Convention, as follows:
Nicaragua (ratified 5 November 1999, entered into force 5 December
1999); Liechtenstein (ratified 24 November 1999, entered into force
24 December 1999); San Marino (ratified 10 December 1999, entered
into force 9 January 2000); Eritrea (acceded 14 February 2000, entered
into force 15 March 2000); Azerbaijan (ratified 29 February 2000,
entered into force 30 March 2000); Kazakhstan (ratified 26 March 2000,
entered into force 25 April 2000); Colombia (ratified 5 April 2000,
entered into force 5 May 2000); Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (acceded
20 April 2000 and will enter into force 20 May 2000); and Malaysia
(ratified 20 April 2000 and will enter into force 20 May 2000). Just
prior to the Fourth Session of the Conference, the Federated States
of Micronesia also ratified the Convention, which entered into force
for that State Party on 21 July 1999.
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As of 10 May 2000, according to notifications received
from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who is the Depositary
of the Convention, 135 states have ratified or acceded to the Convention,
accounting for 70% of all states throughout the world. A further 37
states, or 19%, have signed the Convention but have yet to deposit
their instrument of ratification. The total number of non-signatory
States stands at 21, or 11% of all states.
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In his statement issued to the First Committee of
the United Nations in October 1999, the Director-General described
the progress on universality to that point in 1999 as "disappointing".
However, nine instruments of ratification or accession were deposited
in the ensuing six-month period, including six in the first four months
of 2000. The Chemical Weapons Convention has attracted more ratifications
and accessions in 2000 than any other multilateral instrument in the
field of disarmament and arms control.
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In terms of the way forward, the drive towards universality
will become more difficult, as the countries least inclined to join
will be the last to do so. The reasons differ as to why certain countries
have not ratified or acceded to the Convention. Different approaches
may, therefore, be required and, in some cases, approaches tailored
to particular regions will offer the best way forward. For those states
which face organisational or logistical difficulties, the Secretariat
offers various kinds of support for National Authorities in implementing
the Convention (e.g. declarations assistance, the development of regional
legislative models, and options for integrating legislation relevant
to the Convention and other chemical regulatory regimes). The Director-General
has also emphasised the range of benefits that the Convention offers
to States Parties, which may be appreciated on their own merits, and
has stressed the need to avoid inappropriate linkages. Further high-level
contacts will be desirable. Direct visits have also demonstrated their
effectiveness in various instances, as may be seen in relation to
the recent improvements in the level of initial declarations received
by the Secretariat from States Parties, and these avenues could be
pursued to a greater extent.
Annex: Activities of the Director-General
and Secretariat officials directed at ensuring the universality of the
Convention, July 1999 - May 2000
Annex
ACTIVITIES OF THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL AND SECRETARIAT OFFICIALS
DIRECTED AT ENSURING THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE CONVENTION
JULY 1999 - MAY 2000
| Date |
Activity |
Location |
Participation |
| 8-10 July
1999 |
70th Session
of OAU Council of Ministers |
Algiers,
Algeria |
Bilateral
contacts |
| 2-6 August
1999 |
National
Course |
Kiev, Ukraine |
Ukraine National
Authority |
| 9-10 September
1999 |
Induction
Workshop for Diplomatic Personnel |
OPCW, The
Hague, The Netherlands |
73 participants
from 44 States Parties, 6 signatory States (Cape Verde, Liberia,
Madagascar, Nicaragua - later ratified, Uganda, Yemen) and 3 non-signatory
States (Angola, Barbados, Solomon Islands) |
| 17 September 1999 |
Briefing for Brussels-based
delegations |
Brussels, Belgium |
21 participants from 15
States Parties and 6 signatory States (Guatemala, Liberia, Madagascar,
Rwanda, Samoa, Uganda) |
| 20 September
1999 |
Visit of
UN Disarmament Fellows |
OPCW, The
Hague, The Netherlands |
28 participants
from 23 States Parties, 3 signatory States (Colombia - later ratified,
Liberia, Malaysia - later ratified) and 2 non-signatory States (Angola,
Sao Tomé & Principe) |
| 11-21 October
1999 |
Visit of
Director-General and senior officials from the Secretariat |
New York,
USA |
Bilateral
contacts with permanent representatives to the UN of 23 signatory
and 14 non-signatory States, P-5 and the Netherlands, UN Secretary-General
and Deputy Secretary-General, Under Secretary-General for Disarmament
Affairs and Chairman of UNGA First Committee |
| 19-27 October 1999 |
Advanced training course
for personnel of Ibero-American and Caribbean National Authorities |
Madrid and Huelva, Spain |
21 participants from 14
States Parties and 1 State not party (Guatemala) in the Latin American
and Caribbean region - experts from the Spanish National Authority
took part |
| 3-5 November
1999 |
Regional
Seminar |
Nairobi,
Kenya |
31 participants
from 18 States Parties, 3 signatory States (Liberia, Uganda, Zambia)
and 1 non-signatory State (Eritrea - later acceded) |
| Date |
Activity |
Location |
Participation |
| 5 November
1999 |
Visit of
Director, International Cooperation and Assistance |
Lusaka, Zambia |
Bilateral
contacts |
| 7-17 November
1999 |
Official
visit of Director-General |
Australia,
Singapore, Switzerland |
Bilateral
contacts |
| 8-9 November
1999 |
Visit to
Chad (signatory State) to facilitate ratification preparations |
Ndjamena,
Chad |
Bilateral
contacts - experts from the French National Authority provided assistance |
| 9-11 November
1999 |
Visit to
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (non-signatory State - later acceded) |
Belgrade,
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia |
Bilateral
contacts |
| 16-19 November
1999 |
Visit to
Kazakhstan (signatory State - later ratified) to facilitate preparations
for ratification |
Astana, Kazakhstan |
Bilateral
contacts: Secretariat officials assisted with the preparation of
the initial declaration |
| 22-23 November
1999 |
National
Course |
Hanoi, Viet
Nam |
Viet Nam
National Authority - experts from the Australian National Authority
provided assistance |
|
30 November-2 December
1999
|
National
Course |
Dhaka, Bangladesh |
Bangladesh
National Authority |
| 1-3 December
1999 |
OPANAL Regional
Seminar on Disarmament |
Lima, Peru |
Bilateral
contacts |
| 10 December
1999 |
Briefing
for Brussels-based delegations |
Brussels,
Belgium |
24 participants
from 16 States Parties, 6 signatory States (Guatemala, Honduras,
Kazakhstan - later ratified, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Uganda), OECS
representing 1 State Party, 4 signatory States (Dominica, Grenada,
St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines) and 1 non-signatory
State (Antigua & Barbuda) |
| 17-18 February
2000 |
Regional
Legislation Workshop |
Castries,
St. Lucia |
14 participants
from 1 State Party, 4 signatory States (Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts
and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines) and 1 non-signatory State
(Antigua & Barbuda) |
| 10 March
2000 |
Briefing
for Brussels-based delegations |
Brussels,
Belgium |
23 participants
from 16 States Parties, 1 contracting state (Eritrea) and 6 signatory
States (Chad, Grenada, Kazakhstan - later ratified, Kyrgyzstan,
Madagascar, Uganda) |
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