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Preparatory Commission for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

Document number: PC-XIII/9
Document date: 20 March 1996
Original: ENGLISH
Corrigenda () have been inserted at the relevant places!

Thirteenth Session (18 - 22 March 1996)

CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE

REPORT ON THE
CREDENTIALS OF REPRESENTATIVES OF MEMBER STATES

  1. The Credentials Committee, established by the Preparatory Commission for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons at its First Session (PREPCOM/I/4, paragraph 24), held its fifteenth meeting on 20 March 1996. Chile, Ghana, Italy (Chairman), Nepal and the Slovak Republic continued to serve as Members of the Committee, in accordance with Rule 4.2 of the Rules of Procedure of the Preparatory Commission.

    Credentials received during the current intersessional period

  2. The Committee had before it the Note by the Executive Secretary concerning the Credentials of Representatives of Member States (PC-XIII/8).

  3. According to that Note, as of 20 March 1996:

      (a) Original, formal credentials concerning the appointment of Representatives or the replacement of Representatives, in conformity with Rule 3 of the Rules of Procedure, have been received by the Executive Secretary since the end of the Twelfth Session of the Commission from 2 Member States: Ghana and Japan.

      (b) Copies of formal credentials or other official communications concerning Representatives have been received by the Executive Secretary since the end of the Twelfth Session from 24 Member States: Armenia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, Gabon, Haiti, Ireland, Israel, Kuwait, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Russian Federation, Togo, Turkey, Uruguay and Zambia. The submission of original, formal credentials, in accordance with Rule 3 of the Rules of Procedure, is pending in these cases.

  4. The Committee also wishes to state in this Report that on the final day of the Twelfth Session of the Commission, original, formal credentials were received concerning the Representatives of Bangladesh and Slovenia. The Chairman of the Credentials Committee orally conveyed this information to the Commission during the Session (subparagraph 9.2 of PC-XII/17).

  5. Lastly, with respect to the designation of acting Representatives, Member States are reminded of Rule 2.2 of the Rules of Procedure, whereby an accredited Representative may designate an alternate or adviser to act as Representative. The Executive Secretary has indicated that a review of the communications received by the Secretariat from Member States concerning their participation at the Thirteenth Session revealed that this Rule is not being followed in many of the instances when an accredited Representative has been unable to attend.

    Summary

  6. As of the date of this Report, 83 Member States have submitted original, formal credentials which have remained valid for their Representative or for the replacement of their Representative, to the Executive Secretary in the period from the First to the Thirteenth Session. It is important to note that original, formal credentials issued either by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister of Foreign Affairs or by other authority responsible for foreign affairs remain valid unless they are withdrawn or replaced in accordance with Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Procedure. The 83 Member States that have issued valid credentials for their Representatives are: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

  7. At the Thirteenth Session, copies of formal credentials or other official communications concerning Representatives have been received by the Executive Secretary from 24 Member States: Armenia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, Gabon, Haiti, Ireland, Israel, Kuwait, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Russian Federation, Togo, Turkey, Uruguay and Zambia. In accordance with Rule 5 of the Rules of Procedure, the Representatives of these Member States are participating provisionally in the Commission pending submission of original, formal credentials in conformity with Rule 3 of the Rules of Procedure.

  8. The Committee noted the problem the Secretariat has been encountering with the delayed receipt of credentials and other official communications concerning the appointment or replacement of Representatives. The Committee recommends to the Commission that it encourage Member States to submit the required documents not less than one week before the date fixed for the opening of the Session.

  9. The Committee unanimously adopted its Report to the Commission.

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