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Seventh Session C-7/INF.1
7 - 11 October 2002 1 October 2002
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(Unofficial electronic version)

ANNOTATED AGENDA

FOR THE SEVENTH SESSION

OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE STATES PARTIES

(7 - 11 October 2002)

This document has been prepared by the Technical Secretariat (hereinafter the “Secretariat”) with a view to providing Member States with some guidance and assistance in their substantive preparations for the Seventh Session of the Conference of the States Parties (hereinafter the “Conference”).  This annotated agenda deals with items of business for the Seventh Session of the Conference in the sequence of the provisional agenda for that session (C-7/1, dated 31 July 2002).

1.         AGENDA ITEM ONE - Opening of the session

In accordance with the decision of the Conference at its Sixth Session, the Seventh Session of the Conference will be held from 7 - 11 October in The Hague.  The Chairman of the Sixth Session of the Conference, Ambassador Heinrich Reimann of Switzerland, will open the Seventh Session of the Conference.

2.         AGENDA ITEM TWO - Election of the Chairman

Article VIII, paragraph 15 of the Convention provides that the Conference shall elect its Chairman at the beginning of each regular session, and that the Chairman shall hold office until a new Chairman is elected at the next regular session.

3.         AGENDA ITEM THREE - Election of Vice-Chairmen and other officers

In accordance with Rules 34 and 35 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference, the Conference shall elect ten Vice-Chairmen of the Conference, the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, and such other officers as it may decide, having due regard to equitable geographical representation.  Such officers of the Conference shall hold office until their successors are elected at its next regular session.

4.         AGENDA ITEM FOUR - Adoption of the agenda

As no request for the inclusion of a supplementary item was received by the Director-General in accordance with Rule 14 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference, the Conference is requested to adopt the following agenda, as contained in C-7/1, dated 31 July 2002:

AGENDA ITEM ONE - Opening of the session

AGENDA ITEM TWO - Election of the Chairman

AGENDA ITEM THREE - Election of Vice-Chairmen and other officers

AGENDA ITEM FOUR - Adoption of the agenda

AGENDA ITEM FIVE - Organisation of work and establishment of subsidiary bodies

AGENDA ITEM SIX - Appointment of Credentials Committee

AGENDA ITEM SEVEN - Statement by the Director-General

AGENDA ITEM EIGHT - General debate

AGENDA ITEM NINE - Status of the implementation of the Convention

AGENDA ITEM TEN - Report of the Organisation in the year 2001

AGENDA ITEM ELEVEN - Report of the Executive Council on the performance of its activities

AGENDA ITEM TWELVE - Election of members of the Executive Council

AGENDA ITEM THIRTEEN - Programme and budget of the Organisation, submitted by the Executive Council for the ensuing financial period, and all items pertaining to this budget

AGENDA ITEM FOURTEEN - Scale of assessments to be paid by States Parties

AGENDA ITEM FIFTEEN - Fostering of international cooperation for peaceful purposes in the field of chemical activities

AGENDA ITEM SIXTEEN - Ensuring universality of the Convention

AGENDA ITEM SEVENTEEN - Reports of subsidiary bodies

(a)        Committee of the Whole

(b)        General Committee

(c)        Confidentiality Commission

(d)        Credentials Committee

AGENDA ITEM EIGHTEEN - Any other business

AGENDA ITEM NINETEEN - Dates and duration of the first special session to review the operation of the Convention and of the next regular session of the Conference of the States Parties

AGENDA ITEM TWENTY - Adoption of the Report of the Conference of the States Parties

AGENDA ITEM TWENTY- ONE - Closure

5.         AGENDA ITEM FIVE - Organisation of work and establishment of subsidiary bodies

            The Conference is requested to adopt appropriate recommendations of the General Committee, reported to it in accordance with Rule 43 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference.

6.         AGENDA ITEM SIX - Appointment of Credentials Committee

In accordance with Rule 27 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference, the Credentials Committee shall be appointed at the beginning of each session of the Conference.  The Credentials Committee shall consist of ten members, which shall be appointed by the Conference on the proposal of its Chairman. The Credentials Committee shall elect its own officers.  It shall examine the credentials of all representatives, and shall report without delay to the Conference.

7.         AGENDA ITEM SEVEN - Statement by the Director-General

The Conference is requested to note the opening statement by the Director-General (this document will be assigned a reference number when it is made available to delegations).

8.         AGENDA ITEM EIGHT - General debate

            Detailed information concerning statements in the general debate is contained in section I.6 of the information handbook on the Seventh Session of the Conference, which has already been made available to all delegations.  Delegations wishing to make a statement in a language other than the six official languages of the Organisation are required to provide their own interpretation into one of the official languages.  To facilitate interpretation, at least ten copies of each statement must be made available before it is read.  Delegations wishing their statements to be made available to other delegations are requested to provide the Secretariat with at least 250 copies before the statement is made. 

9.                 AGENDA ITEM NINE - Status of the implementation of the Convention

Under this agenda item, Member States might wish to record their recommendations related to the implementation of the Convention.

The Conference is requested to consider and approve the draft report of the OPCW on the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention in the year 2001 (this draft is still under consideration by the Executive Council (hereinafter the “Council”)).  The latest draft is contained in document EC-29/CRP.1/Rev.1, dated
27 September 2002.

11.       AGENDA ITEM ELEVEN - Report of the Executive Council on the performance of its activities

11.1     The Conference is requested to note the report of the Council on the performance of its activities in the period 24 February 2001 - 16 July 2002 (this draft is still under consideration by the Council. The latest draft is contained in document EC-30/CRP.1/Rev.1, dated 26 September 2002). 

            Recommendations of the Council to the Conference

(a)        Extension of deadlines for destruction of Category 1 chemical weapons stockpiles

(i)         The Conference, in accordance with the recommendation of the Council at its Twenty-Eighth Session, is requested to consider and adopt the decision approving a request by a State Party to grant an extension of its obligation to meet the intermediate Phase 2 deadline for the destruction of its Category 1 chemical weapons (this document will be assigned a reference number when it is made available to delegations); and

(ii)        The Council is still considering a request from the Russian Federation for extension of the intermediate and final deadlines for destruction of its chemical weapons stockpiles, and the Conference will be requested to consider and adopt an appropriate decision in light of the recommendation of the Council.

(b)        Requests for conversion of chemical weapons production facilities for purposes not prohibited under the Convention

(i)         The Conference, in accordance with the recommendation of the Council at its Twenty-Fifth Session, is requested to consider and adopt the decision on the request by the Russian Federation for approval to use a chemical weapons production facility (filling of mustard gas and lewisite mixture into munitions), at OJSC “Khimprom”, Volgograd, Russian Federation, for purposes not prohibited under the Convention (C-7/DEC/CRP.1, dated 25 September 2002);

(ii)        The Conference, in accordance with the recommendation of the Council at its Twenty-Fifth Session, is requested to consider and adopt the decision on the request by the Russian Federation for approval to use a chemical weapons production facility (loading of chemical sub-munitions into munitions), at OJSC “Khimprom”, Novocheboksarsk, Russian Federation, for purposes not prohibited under the Convention (C-7/DEC/CRP.2, dated 25 September 2002);

(iii)        The Conference, in accordance with the recommendation of the Council at its Thirtieth Session, is requested to consider and adopt the decision on the request by the Russian Federation to use a chemical weapons production facility (aminomercaptan production), OJSC “Khimprom”, Novocheboksarsk, Russian Federation, for purposes not prohibited under the Convention (C-7/DEC/CRP.3, dated 25 September 2002);

(iv)       The Conference, in accordance with the recommendation of the Council at its Thirtieth Session, is requested to consider and adopt the decision on the request by the Russian Federation to use a chemical weapons production facility (chloroether production), OJSC “Khimprom”, Novocheboksarsk, Russian Federation, for purposes not prohibited under the Convention (C-7/DEC/CRP.4, dated 25 September 2002);

(v)        The Conference, in accordance with the recommendation of the Council at its Thirtieth Session, is requested to consider and adopt the decision on the request by the Russian Federation to use a chemical weapons production facility (sarin production), OJSC “Khimprom”, Volgograd, Russian Federation, for purposes not prohibited under the Convention (C-7/DEC/CRP.5, dated 25 September 2002);

(vi)       The Conference, in accordance with the recommendation of the Council at its Thirtieth Session, is requested to consider and adopt the decision on the request by the Russian Federation for approval to use a chemical weapons production facility (production of VX-substance and filling it into munitions, stage II: conversion of part of the auxiliary buildings 352 and 353 and of the ventilation stack 366B) at OJSC “Khimprom”, Novocheboksarsk, Russian Federation, for purposes not prohibited under the Convention (C-7/DEC/CRP.6, dated 25 September 2002);

(vii)      The Conference, in accordance with the recommendation of the Council at its Thirtieth Session, is requested to consider and adopt the decision on the request by the Russian Federation for approval to use a chemical weapons production facility (filling munitions with sarin, soman and viscous soman, phase II: conversion of buildings 600, 603, 605 and 605a) at OJSC “Khimprom”, Volgograd, Russian Federation, for purposes not prohibited under the Convention (C-7/DEC/CRP.7, dated 25 September 2002). 

(viii)      The Conference, in accordance with the recommendation of the Council at its Twenty-Eighth Session, is requested to consider and adopt the decision on the request by the Russian Federation for approval to use a chemical weapons production facility (lewisite production, second train), OJSC “Sibur-Neftekhim”,“Kaprolaktam” Plant, Dzhershinsk for purposes not prohibited under the Convention (C-7/DEC/CRP.8, dated 25 September 2002); 

(ix)       The forthcoming meeting of the Council will also consider the decision on the request by the Russian Federation for approval to use a soman production facility at OJSC “Khimprom”, Volgograd, Russian Federation, for purposes not prohibited under the Convention, as well as the detailed plan for the conversion of that facility. The Conference might be requested to decide on this request in light of the recommendation of the Council.

(c)        Guidelines regarding declarations of aggregate national data for Schedule 2 chemical production, processing, consumption, import and export, and Schedule 3 import and export

The Conference, in accordance with the recommendation of the Council at its Thirtieth Session, is requested to consider and adopt the decision on guidelines regarding declarations of aggregate national data for Schedule 2 chemical production, processing, consumption, import and export, and Schedule 3 import and export (C-7/DEC/CRP.9, dated 18 September 2002).

(d)        Understandings regarding declarations under Article VI and Part VII and Part VIII of the Verification Annex

The forthcoming meeting of the Council will consider the draft decision on understandings regarding declarations under Article VI and Part VII and Part VIII of the Verification Annex (EC-30/DEC/CRP.5, dated 12 September 2002), and this might result in an appropriate recommendation to be submitted to the Conference for its consideration and approval.

(e)        List of approved equipment and technical specifications of approved equipment

The forthcoming meeting of the Council will consider the draft decision on procedures for revising the technical specifications for on-site inspection equipment (EC-28/DEC/CRP.4, dated 15 February 2002), and the draft decision on procedures for revising the approved list of inspection equipment (EC-28/DEC/CRP.6, dated 18 February 2002), with a view to referring it to the Conference at its Seventh Session for consideration and approval.

(f)        Reports of the External Auditor on the financial statements of the OPCW for 2001

The Conference is requested to note the audited financial statements of the OPCW and the Provident Fund of the OPCW for the period ended 31 December 2001, including the response of the Director-General to the above-mentioned External Auditor’s report (C-7/DG.1, dated 14 June 2002, and Corr.1, dated 26 June 2002). In accordance with OPCW Financial Regulation 13.10, these audited financial statements and the External Auditor’s report and opinion thereon had been forwarded by the Council to the Conference (paragraph 16 of EC-30/2, dated 13 September 2002).

(g)        Report of the Office of Internal Oversight on 2001

The Conference is requested to note that, in accordance with OPCW Financial Regulation 12.5, the summary report on the internal oversight activities for 2001, prepared by the Office of Internal Oversight (OIO), was transmitted to it through the Council at its Thirtieth Session (EC-29/DG.5, dated 10 June 2002).  The Conference is also requested to note the comments of the Council at its Thirtieth Session as to the work carried out by the OIO (paragraph 15 of EC-30/2, dated 13 September 2002).

(h)        Participation of designated laboratories in preparation or evaluation of samples for the official OPCW proficiency tests

The forthcoming meeting of the Council will consider the draft decision on the participation of designated laboratories in the preparation or evaluation of samples on a rotational basis for official OPCW proficiency tests, including appropriate financial arrangements (EC-30/DEC/CRP.3, dated 28 August 2002), and this might result in an appropriate recommendation to be submitted to the Conference for its consideration and approval.

12.       AGENDA ITEM TWELVE - Election of members of the Executive Council

In accordance with Article VIII, paragraph 23 of the Convention, and with Rule 83 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference, the Conference is requested to elect 21 members for the following elective places on the Council to serve a term of two years, commencing on 12 May 2003:

Africa:                                                  five elective places

Asia:                                                     six elective places

Eastern Europe:                                    two elective places

Latin America and the Caribbean:         three elective places

Western Europe and Other States:        five elective places

13.       AGENDA ITEM THIRTEEN - Programme and budget of the Organisation, submitted by the Executive Council for the ensuing financial period, and all items pertaining to this budget, as well as other budgetary matters

Programme and budget of the Organisation for 2002

The Conference is requested, in accordance with Financial Regulation 3.6(a), to consider and adopt, on the basis of a recommendation from the Council, a decision on the OPCW programme and budget for 2003. The Council will meet on 3 October 2002 for this purpose. The most recent draft of the budget is contained in the revised draft programme and budget of the Organisation for 2003, which is introduced by the Note by the Director-General on that subject (EC-30/DG.1, dated 31 May 2002).  The Council at its meeting will also consider recommendations on amendments to the OPCW Financial Regulations, which might subsequently be submitted to the Conference for it to take action on them. 

14.       AGENDA ITEM FOURTEEN - Scale of assessments to be paid by States Parties

            The Conference is requested, in accordance with Financial Regulation 3.6(b), to consider and adopt a decision on the scale of assessments to be paid by States Parties for the financial year 2003.

15.       AGENDA ITEM FIFTEEN - Fostering of international cooperation for peaceful purposes in the field of chemical activities

            The Conference at its Sixth Session referred this issue to the Council for its further consideration, with a view to the Council forwarding a proposal to the Conference at its Seventh Session for its consideration and approval.  At this stage, there is no specific recommendation forthcoming on this issue from the Council.

16.       AGENDA ITEM SIXTEEN - Ensuring universality of the Convention

16.1     The Conference received a Note by Belgium on behalf of the European Union on the universality of the Convention (C-7/NAT.1, dated 1 November 2001), as well as a letter from the Republic of South Africa (C-7/NAT.2, dated 23 July 2002).

16.2     The Conference is requested to note the report by the Director-General on the implementation of the recommendation of the Conference at its Sixth Session on ensuring the universality of the Convention (this document will be assigned a reference number when it is made available to delegations).

17.       AGENDA ITEM SEVENTEEN - Reports of subsidiary bodies

Committee of the Whole

17.1     The Committee of the Whole is expected to report on the results of its consideration of those agenda items which are referred to it by the Conference on the recommendation of the General Committee.

General Committee

17.2     The Conference is requested to note the reports of the General Committee prepared in accordance with Rule 43 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference and to take appropriate action.

Confidentiality Commission

17.3     At its Thirtieth Session, the Council recommended that the Conference note that there has been no meeting of the Commission since January 2001.  This recommendation is based on the understanding that the Commission will convene shortly after 19 May 2003, that is, after the appointment of new members to the Commission by this Conference enters into force, to address procedural issues.  This recommendation is without prejudice to convening a meeting of the Commission at any time, should there be a need for it to address a dispute relating to a breach of confidentiality.

17.4     In accordance with paragraph 23 of the Confidentiality Annex to the Convention and paragraph 1 of Part IX.2 of the OPCW Policy on Confidentiality, the Conference is requested to elect 20 Members of the Confidentiality Commission

Credentials Committee

17.5     The Conference is requested to consider and approve the report by the Chairman of the Credentials Committee.

            Agreements on privileges and immunities of the OPCW

            The Conference is requested to give prior approval to three draft agreements on privileges and immunities between the OPCW and Finland, Argentina and Spain, to enable the Council to conclude them (C-7/DEC/CRP.10, dated 25 September 2002; C-7/DEC/CRP.11, dated 27 September 2002, and C-7/DEC/CRP.12, dated
30 September 2002 respectively).

19.1     The Conference is requested to decide, in accordance with the recommendation of the Council (EC-28/DEC.4, dated 20 March 2002), to hold the first special session to review the operation of the Convention from 28 April - 9 May 2003.

19.2     The Conference is further requested to decide to hold its future regular
session on the following dates: 20 - 24 October 2003; 15 - 19 November 2004;
7 - 11 November 2005; 6 - 10 November 2006; 5 - 9 November 2007;
7 - 18 April 2008 (Second Review Conference); 3 - 7 November 2008;
2 - 6 November 2009; and 1 - 5 November 2010.  The Conference is also requested to authorise the Director-General to conclude appropriate agreements with the Netherlands Congress Centre, assuring the availability of conference facilities on these dates, while maintaining flexibility to make necessary adjustments, if so required.
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