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| The Hague, 12 August 2005 | Number 38 | ||
The Government of Cuba and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) jointly conducted a regional workshop for National Authorities of States Parties in Latin America and the Caribbean from 2 to 3 August 2005. Representatives of twenty States Parties from the region participated, including, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela. Honduras, a Signatory State that has not yet ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), was also represented. In addition, representatives from Spain took part in the Workshop.
The Workshop provided practical support in the training of escorts for international inspections conducted under the terms of the CWC. The participants are engaged in the preparation and reception of such inspections, or in drafting the necessary national implementing legislation.
In his opening remarks to the Workshop, the Vice-Minister for Science, Technology and the Environment, H.E. Dr. Wenceslao Carrera, stated that this meeting is an example of regional cooperation, providing the National Authority representatives the opportunity to exchange experiences in such important areas as receiving and escorting OPCW international inspections. He expressed the hope that by enhancing the participants' knowledge of escort training, the Workshop will prove useful in strengthening cooperation among States Parties.
On behalf of the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, the OPCW Director for External Relations, Mr Zhixian Liu, underscored the importance of full and effective implementation of the CWC by all 170 States Parties to ensure that the chemical weapons ban can meet its objective of eliminating chemical weapons forever. He noted that this Workshop is an integral part of the OPCW's efforts to actively provide States Parties as much assistance as possible in their effort to autonomously and effectively meet their treaty obligations. Mr Liu expressed on behalf of the OPCW his appreciation to the Government of Cuba for its strong support for the goals of the CWC and for the OPCW's mission.
The National Authority representatives had an opportunity to discuss in detail the requirements for inspections under the CWC, to review and comment on national implementing legislation, with particular regard to inspections, to exchange experience in escorting OPCW inspections, to discuss escort team training methods, and to seek advice from experts.
During the course of the Workshop, a mock inspection of an industrial facility, Planta de Detergentes Suchel Debon, was conducted to provide the participants direct and practical experience with all aspects of an OPCW inspection, including a pre-inspection briefing, physical inspection, a review of the chemical production and consumption records and the drafting of an inspection report, followed by the report's presentation to the National Escort Team.
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an international, multilateral disarmament treaty which bans the development, production, stockpiling, transfer and use of chemical weapons. The States Parties to the CWC are obligated to declare any chemical weapons-related activities, to secure and destroy any stockpiles of chemical weapons within the stipulated deadlines, as well as to inactivate and eliminate any chemical weapons production capacity within their jurisdiction.
The CWC entered into force in 1997 and mandated the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to eliminate chemical weapons forever. The OPCW verifies the irreversible destruction of declared chemical weapons stockpiles, as well as the elimination of all declared chemical weapons production facilities. The OPCW Member States, together with OPCW inspectors, monitor the non-diversion of chemicals for activities prohibited under the CWC and verify the consistency of industrial chemical declarations. In addition, OPCW States Parties undertake to provide protection and assistance, if chemical weapons have been used against a State Party, or if such weapons threaten a State Party. The CWC also calls for international cooperation in the peaceful use of chemistry.
The CWC is the single disarmament agreement that in its daily application around the world is used to verify the on-going elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction, chemical weapons. OPCW inspections are conducted in dozens of countries, where both military and industrial sites are subject to verification. The verification procedures and the declaration obligations of the States Parties are applied in an entirely non-discriminatory manner, following protocols negotiated and adopted in intensive and transparent multilateral negotiations. All States Parties enjoy the same rights and bear the same obligations, regardless of their declared possession of chemical weapons.
The global chemical weapons ban is approaching universality: as of 20 August 2005, 170 States will be party to the CWC and have taken the sovereign decision to renounce chemical weapons in perpetuity, while voluntarily complying with a strict verification regime. Together, these countries form the OPCW. Only 24 States have not as yet acceded or ratified the CWC. Every country is urged to accede to, or ratify, the Chemical Weapons Convention so that the development, production, stockpiling, transfer and use of chemical weapons is illegal everywhere. Universality of the CWC is a key priority in establishing a global and permanent ban of chemical weapons.
The CWC's international jurisdiction and deterrent effect is bolstered by the steadily expanding membership of the OPCW, now encompassing over 95% of the global population, as well as 98% of the relevant global chemical industry. The broad coverage of this disarmament treaty, the most complex and comprehensive international agreement of its kind ever to be adopted, grants States party to the CWC an ever more robust assurance that chemical weapons will no longer be developed, produced, stockpiled, used or transferred.
Six States Parties have declared chemical weapons and must destroy over eight million items, including munitions and containers — in total, over seventy-one thousand metric tonnes of extremely toxic chemical agents. By comparison, one drop of a nerve agent, no larger than the head of a pin, can kill an adult within minutes after exposure.
Every Member State must introduce and apply legislation to make the development, production, use, stockpiling or transfer of chemical weapons by any person or group illegal. Severe penalties must be imposed should this crime be committed. Each Member State is obliged to provide other Member States with its fullest cooperation so as to expedite prosecution.
To make sure that the Convention is implemented effectively, Member States are obliged to designate or establish a “National Authority”. This body participates in and coordinates OPCW inspections of relevant industrial or military sites, makes initial and annual declarations, participates in assisting and protecting those Member States which are threatened by, or have indeed suffered, a chemical attack, and fosters the peaceful uses of chemistry. In addition, the National Authority acts as the focal point in the State Party's interaction with other States Parties and the OPCW's Technical Secretariat. The OPCW Technical Secretariat has established a coordinated mechanism to support Member States in their national implementation of the Convention. The focus of this work is to provide advice and assistance to the staff of National Authorities in order to help them enhance their skills and expertise.
100% of the declared chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) have been deactivated. All are subjected to a verification regime of unprecedented stringency. Over 75% of the declared CWPFs have been eliminated. Over 25% of the 8.6 million chemical munitions and containers covered by the Convention have been verifiably destroyed. Over 14% of the world's declared stockpiles of approximately 71,000 metric tonnes of chemical agent have been verifiably destroyed. Over 2,000 on-site inspections have been conducted in over 70 States Parties to verify compliance with the CWC.
FOR INFORMATION — NOT AN OFFICIAL RECORD
For further information please contact: Media and Public Affairs Branch, + 31 (0) 70 416 3710, media@opcw.org,
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