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Preparatory Commission for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Document number: PC-XIV/B/2
Document date: 22 May 1996
Original: ENGLISH
Corrigenda () have been inserted at the relevant places!
Fourteenth Session
(22 - 26 July 1996)
NOTE BY THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PERMANENT SECRETARIAT INTERNET SITE
- A temporary Internet Website providing information on the work of the
Commission and on the Chemical Weapons Convention and its implementation was
established in July 1995. During its Thirteenth Session, the Commission
authorised the Secretariat to make the Website permanent (PC-XIII/18,
subparagraph 7.3(c)).
- This has now been done. The permanent Website can be accessed on Internet
under the uniform resource locator (URL) address http://www.opcw.nl/ by
using any World Wide Web (WWW) browser such as Netscape 2.0 or Microsoft
Explorer. Access to Internet itself requires, at a minimum, a personal
computer, a modem, a telephone line and an account with an Internet service
provider (ISP). For more details on this please contact any local ISP.
- The Website is maintained in accordance with the Guidelines approved by the
Commission (PC-XIII/18, subparagraph 7.3(a)) and contained in the Annex to
PC-XIII/B/WP.3. The operations of the Website are supervised by a Website
Review Group chaired by the Deputy Executive Secretary and reporting directly
to the Executive Secretary.
- A brief manual for the Website has been developed and is annexed to this
Note. A more detailed manual can be obtained, upon request, from the
Secretariat. Requests for the detailed manual, as well as any questions
concerning the Website or any suggestions for its improvement, can be sent by
e-mail to webmaster@opcw.nl or to the Technical Cooperation and
Assistance Division, PTS-OPCW, Laan van Meerdervoort 51, NL-2517 AE The Hague,
The Netherlands, fax +31-70-360 0944.
Annex
A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE SECRETARIAT INTERNET WEBSITE
Internet access
The normal way for a single user to get access to the Internet is to use the
services of an Internet service provider (ISP). From a personal computer,
equipped with a modem, a phone call is made to a phone number which has been
provided by the ISP. Using software provided by the ISP, it is then possible
to log in at the ISP and to establish a connection to the Internet.
Usually the costs of telephone calls constitute a considerable part of the
Internet connection costs. It is therefore highly desirable to use an ISP
which can provide Internet access through a local phone call.
Access to the Website
The Secretariat Website can be accessed using the hypertext transfer protocol
(http). This is normally done by means of a type of software called a browser,
which is normally provided by the ISP. Several different browsers are
available, the current market-leader being Netscape Navigator, with Microsoft
Internet Explorer as a strong competitor. Most browsers are available free of
charge via the Internet, and one type of browser can be "downloaded" by means
of another type of browser or by file transfer protocol (ftp) software.
The "electronic address" or uniform resource locator of the Secretariat Website
is http://www.opcw.nl/ When this "address" has been entered in the
correct browser field, the "homepage" of the Website will appear on the monitor
screen. If the user points to various items underlined and/or marked in colour
and double-clicks on a mouse button, new "pages" can be "downloaded" to the
monitor screen.
If a printer has been connected to the computer, it is normally possible to
obtain hard copy of the text on the monitor screen.
Main categories of information presently at the Website
The following is an outline of the structure of the PTS Website. Not all
levels of the Website have been included in the outline, since its purpose is
to provide an overview of the type of information and documents that could be
accessed through links from the OPCW Home Page. Some of the material, marked by
an * or a (*), is not yet available.
0 OPCW Home Page
0.1 Information on the Website
0.2 A Guided Tour of the CWC (the text of display panels prepared for a chemical protection symposium)
0.3 Preparatory Commission (PC) documents
0.3.1 PC-VI - PC-X documents (mainly yet to be added)
0.3.2 PC-XI documents
0.3.3 PC-XII documents
0.3.4 PC-XIII documents
1 Information on the Commission and its members
1.1 Signatory States
1.1.0 Home pages or links to home pages for individual signatory States
1.2 States that have deposited their instruments of ratification
1.3 The Africa Group
1.4 The Asia Group
1.5 The Eastern Europe Group
1.6 The Latin America and Caribbean Group
1.7 The Western Europe and other States Group
1.8 The Commission and its officers
2 The Chemical Weapons Convention
2.1 Links to complete texts of the CWC
2.2 The Annex on Chemicals
2.2.1 The Guidelines
2.2.2 Schedule 1
2.2.3 Schedule 2 (with HS codes)
2.2.4 Schedule 3 (with HS codes)
3 What is happening in The Hague
3.1 Journal of the Commission (updated every Friday)
3.2 Intersessional calendar
3.3 Synthesis (the most recent issue)
3.3.1 Synthesis (back issues)
3.4 The PTS Billboard
3.5 Vacancy notices
3.6 Procurement information
3.7 Who is who at the Secretariat
4 The National Authority Adviser
4.1 Subject index (not yet available)
4.2 How to designate or establish a National Authority
4.3 Urgent tasks before entry into force (EIF)
4.3.1 Notification to the PTS
4.3.2 Governmental and other bodies that might assist a National Authority
4.3.3 Identification of declarable activities
4.3.4 Preparations related to Schedule 1
4.3.5 Preparations related to Schedule 2 and 3
4.3.6 Initial declarations under Article III
4.3.7 Initial declarations under Article VI
4.4 The declarations adviser
4.4.1 Initial declarations under Article III
4.4.2 Industry declarations (not yet available)
4.4.3 Formats for industry declarations (draft formats)
4.4.4 Chemical weapons declarations (not yet available)
4.4.5 Assistance declarations (not yet available)
4.4.6 Information on protection programmes (not yet available)
4.5 What to do immediately after EIF
4.5.1 Provide assistance
4.5.2 Approve the list of inspectors
4.5.3 Submit the initial declarations
4.5.5 Conclude facility agreements
4.6 Routine tasks of a National Authority (not yet available)
4.7 What to do in case of alleged use of CW
5 Fact-finding files
5.1 Chemical weapons and chemical protection
5.1.1 Chemical weapons
5.1.2 Chemical protection
5.1.3 Chemical accidents
5.1.4 Dispersal
5.2 Links to relevant treaties and conventions, etc.
5.3 Links to information related to health and safety
5.4 Links to information on protection
5.5 Links to chemistry-related Websites
5.6 Links to sites related to chemical weapons and chemical warfare
6 Advantages of ratifying
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