Preparatory Commission for the                                                PC-IX/B/WP.14

Organisation for the Prohibition                                                9 December 1994

of Chemical Weapons                                                                     ENGLISH

                                                                                                                  Original: FRENCH

SWITZERLAND

SWISS LEGISLATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION

            On 20 April 1994, the Swiss Government submitted the Convention on Chemical Weapons for Parliamentary approval, in a text also containing the draft law required to implement it at the national level.

            At the end of September 1994, the two chambers of the Parliament unanimously approved both the ratification of the Convention and the implementing legislation. This outcome was due partly to the support given by the chemical industry, which unreservedly endorsed the aims of the Convention, although it will be affected to a considerable extent by the verification activities of the future Organisation. But the unanimous support enjoyed by the Convention in Parliament is also due to the fact that Switzerland has always argued in favour of balanced, non-discriminatory and verifiable treaties on disarmament and non-proliferation. The Convention on Chemical Weapons fully complies with these criteria.

            The Government is now preparing to establish the national authority and introduce the implementing regulations which will be needed. It will decide to deposit the instruments of ratification as soon as the three-month consultation period stipulated in the Constitution has elapsed.

            Since the legislative process has been completed, Switzerland is ready to share its experience in this connection with the other Member States of the Preparatory Commission for the OPCW. For this purpose, we have communicated the text of the Swiss law to the Provisional Technical Secretariat of the Commission, which will make it available to interested States.

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