OPCW

NOTE BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL

ASIAN SEMINAR ON NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION FOR

INDUSTRIAL VERIFICATION

TOKYO, JAPAN, 18 - 19 MARCH 1998

1. The Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and the Japanese Chemical Industry Association hosted the Asian Seminar on National Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention for Industrial Verification in Tokyo, Japan, from 18 - 19 March 1998. The seminar was co-hosted by the OPCW, and was attended by 88 Japanese participants, as well as by 18 participants from 11 other States (China, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and United Arab Emirates).

2. The purpose of the seminar was to discuss the experiences so far of the industrial verification of the Convention from the perspectives of the States Parties and the OPCW. In that context, the preparations which are necessary if States Parties are to implement their Convention-related obligations were also discussed and compared. This was particularly useful for the signatory States which attended, many of which are now involved in the process of preparing for the implementation of the Convention.

3. The Secretariat of the OPCW gave a number of presentations on the Convention and the implementation work of the OPCW, with a particular focus on industrial verification activities and the political and practical advantages of being a State Party to the Convention. Three complementary presentations by the Japanese authorities responsible for implementing the industry-related provisions of the Convention provided a comprehensive overview of the preparations undertaken by Japan to implement the Convention, as well as its actual experience of implementation. Major issues here included identifying and contacting facilities in Japan which would be affected by the Convention, preparing and enacting domestic legislation, and providing support to plant sites affected by the Convention. Participants also heard from two companies which had been the subject of verification activities - the focus of these presentations was the role of the National Authority in an inspection, the need to

protect technical information, the health and safety of the inspectors, the need to conclude facility agreements and thus to minimise the burden imposed by an inspection, and the prevention of "rumour damage".

4. On the second day of the seminar, participants visited the headquarters of the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE), which is the technical support agency for MITI. At this venue, participants heard detailed presentations on the organisation and activities of NITE, as well as a comprehensive overview of how the Office for the Inspection of Chemical Weapons (a subordinate body of NITE which is responsible for receiving inspections for the industrial sector) supports the verification of the Japanese chemical industry. In the afternoon of the second day, a tour of the NITE facility was arranged for seminar participants.

5. The seminar was particularly useful for the signatory States which participated, because the discussions allowed them to gain an in-depth understanding of the political and practical dimensions of becoming a State Party to the Convention. Open discussions emphasised the preparations needed for the effective and timely implementation of the Convention. The ratification and implementation experience of the States Parties was shared with the signatory States, thus facilitating the process of ratification and encouraging the universality of the Convention.

6. Throughout the seminar, views were exchanged on different aspects of implementation activities. Topics discussed included the OPCW’s ability to provide assistance to States Parties which are located in potential conflict zones, the sequence of activities that a "new born" National Authority should consider, the nature of the relationship between National Authorities and plant sites, and the training - including escort and administrative training - available for National Authorities’ personnel from the OPCW and from States Parties . In addition, participants discussed the location and identification of declarable industry facilities by National Authorities, OPCW activities in relation to non-compliance, the commercial advantages of being a State Party, and the lessons learned from experience of the verification process, as well as issues related to confidentiality and "rumour damage".

7. This seminar was the first of a number of seminars planned for 1998 with the aim of encouraging universality and of providing a forum for the exchange of experiences concerning implementation at a national level.

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