Second Review Conference Reaffirms Provisions of the Chemical Weapons Ban

Opening of the session on 7 April 2008. The conference was chaired by H.E. Mr. Waleed A. Elkhereiji, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the OPCW

THE HAGUE – The 2-week Second Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention officially ended on Friday night, 18 April 2008 with a clear reaffirmation of the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention and work of its implementing agency, the OPCW. The conference was chaired by H.E. Mr. Waleed A. Elkhereiji, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the OPCW.

The official document of the conference can be read in full on the OPCW web site at www.opcw.org.

“Although the discussions were difficult and protracted at times, the final document of the Conference is comprehensive and reaffirms the strong commitment among all States Parties to achieve universality, complete the destruction of chemical weapons, further strengthen verification measures to ensure non-proliferation, provide assistance and protection, and promote the uses of chemistry for peaceful purposes,” said the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter.

Among other elements in its report, the Second Review Conference:

• Reaffirmed that the complete destruction of chemical weapons is essential for the realisation of the object and purpose of the Convention.
• It welcomed the statements of possessor States Parties[1] reiterating their commitment to meeting the final, extended deadlines for destroying chemical weapons stocks, and noted that over 38% of the total stockpiles of 70,000 tonnes of Category 1 chemical weapons initially declared by States Parties had been destroyed as of 1 April 2008.
• The Second Review Conference noted with satisfaction that the OPCW has established an effective verification system with a view to achieving the non-proliferation and confidence-building aims of the Convention.
• Noted with satisfaction that after more than 3,000 inspections by OPCW at over 1,080 chemical weapons-related and industrial sites in 80 States Parties, no case of non-compliance with the Convention had been reported.
• Re-emphasised the continuing relevance and importance of the provisions of Article X of the Convention for assistance and protection against chemical weapons for States Parties, and recognised that the assistance available under Article X could be a motivating factor for States non Party to join.
• Re-emphasised the importance of the provisions of Article XI on the economic and technological development of States Parties and recalled that the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of Article XI is essential for the realisation of the objects and purposes of the Convention.
• Reiterated that universality of the Convention is essential to achieve its objective and purpose, and strongly urged the world’s 12 remaining States not Party to ratify[2] or accede to it “as a matter of urgency and without preconditions”. The Conference welcomed efforts by Guinea-Bissau, Iraq and Lebanon “who are well advanced in the process of accession.”
• Reaffirmed that full and effective national implementation of the obligations under the Convention is essential for realising its object and purpose.

[1] Albania, India, Libyan Arab Jamahirya, Russian Federation, United States, and another State Party.

[2] Angola, the Bahamas, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Somalia and Syrian Arab Republic.

Categories: Conference of the States Parties