Preparatory Commission for the                                 PC-XIV/17             
Organisation for the Prohibition                               24 July 1996          
of Chemical Weapons                                            Original:  ENGLISH    
                                                                                     

(22 - 26 July 1996)

NOTE BY THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

CREDENTIALS OF REPRESENTATIVES OF MEMBER STATES

Credentials received during the current intersessional period

1. Original, formal credentials, in conformity with Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Procedure of the Preparatory Commission for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, concerning the appointment of Representatives or the replacement of Representatives, have been received by the Executive Secretary since the close of the Thirteenth Session of the Commission from eight Member States: Austria, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Slovak Republic, Swaziland, Thailand and Turkey.

2. Copies of formal credentials or other official communications concerning Representatives have been received by the Executive Secretary since the close of the Thirteenth Session from 24 Member States: Belarus, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon, Haiti, India, Ireland, Israel, Kuwait, Mali, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Russian Federation, Togo, Uganda, Uruguay, Yemen and Zambia. Submission of original, formal credentials, in accordance with Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Procedure, is pending in these cases.

3. The Executive Secretary would like to remind Member States of Rule 2.2 of the Rules of Procedure, whereby an accredited Representative may designate an alternate or adviser to act as Representative. A review of the communications received by the Secretariat from Member States concerning their participation in this Session revealed that this Rule has not been followed in many of the instances when an accredited Representative was unable to attend.

4. The Executive Secretary would also like to point out that it would be preferable if the credentials or other official communications concerning the appointment or replacement of Representatives were submitted not less than one week before the date fixed for the opening of a Session.

Summary of status

5. As of the date of this Note, 82 Member States have submitted to the Executive Secretary between the First to the Fourteenth Sessions original, formal credentials which have remained valid for their Representative or for the replacement of their Representative (Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Procedure): Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

6. At the Fourteenth Session, copies of formal credentials or other official communications concerning Representatives have been received by the Executive Secretary from 24 Member States: Belarus, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon, Haiti, India, Ireland, Israel, Kuwait, Mali, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Russian Federation, Togo, Uganda, Uruguay, Yemen and Zambia. The submission of original, formal credentials, in conformity with Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Procedure, is pending in these cases.

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