Preparations Begin for 3rd Review Conference

The Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) for preparation of the Third Review Conference of the States Parties of the Chemical Weapons Convention to review the operation of the Convention held its first meeting on 7 June 2012. The Conference will be held from 8 to 19 April 2013 in The Hague.

The Review Conferences of the States Parties are held every five years and the Second Conference was held in 2008. At its 68th Session in May 2012, the OPCW Executive Council appointed an Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) with a Bureau comprising representatives from five geographic regional groups. H.E Nassima Baghli of Algeria (African Group ) was appointed to lead the Bureau as the Chairperson and H.E. Mrs Mary Whelan of Ireland (WEOG*), H.E. Mr Kazem Gharib of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Asia Group), H.E. Mr Roman Kolodkin of the Russian Federation (Eastern European Group), and H.E. Mr Alvaro Moerzinger of Uruguay (GRULAC**) were appointed as Vice Chairs.

The OEWG will address all issues related to the agenda for the Conference and status of its final documents. The Group’s deliberations and proceedings will be guided by the principles of consensus and broad participation of the States Parties.

In its first substantive meeting the OEWG focused on the status of implementation of universality of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The OPCW currently has 188 Member States with eight countries that have still to join, including Angola, Egypt, Israel, Myanmar, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria.

*   Western Europe and Other States Group
** Group of Latin American and Caribbean States

Categories: Conference of the States Parties