DECISION

APPOINTMENT OF THE

EXTERNAL AUDITORs OF THE OPCW

for the financial years 2000-2005

The Conference of the States Parties

Recalling that, in accordance with Financial Regulation 13.1, it shall appoint the External Auditor, who shall be the Auditor-General (or an officer holding an equivalent title) of a State Party, and that such an appointment shall be in the manner and for the period determined by the Conference and for a single period of not less than two years, but not exceeding six years;

Recalling further that, as indicated in EC-XIX/DG.5, dated 14 March 2000, four nominations were received from States Parties for appointment as the External Auditor of the OPCW;

Noting that the Executive Council at its Nineteenth Session was advised by the delegation of Ethiopia that the Auditor General of Ethiopia had withdrawn his candidacy for this appointment;

Hereby:

Decides to appoint Mr V.K. Shunglu, the Auditor-General of India and Mr Manzur Hussain, the Auditor-General of Pakistan as the External Auditors of the OPCW to audit the Organisation's accounts for financial years 2000-2005, each of them for a consecutive period of three years, the sequence of these to be decided by India and Pakistan; and

Further decides that the cost of audit fees for the second and third year of their respective terms shall not exceed the cost of audit fees for the previous year by more than the official rate of inflation in the Netherlands.

- - - o - - -