Non‑governmental organisations (NGOs) are invited to apply for accreditation for the Fifth Review Conference (RC-5).
15 to 19 May 2023
World Forum, The Hague, Netherlands
NGOs must apply for accreditation to attend the Fifth Review Conference (RC-5) in-person or to participate online. Subject to availability, accredited NGOs may apply to set up exhibits and host side events at the Conference.
Applications for RC-5 are closed.
Application requirements
Details of the NGO
All information on the application must reflect the correct contact details and information related to the work of the NGO.
Activities related to the Chemical Weapons Convention
NGOs must clearly demonstrate activities or publications related to the Chemical Weapons Convention completed in the last 12 months.
List of participants
NGOs must submit a list of participants on official letter-headed paper signed by the head of the NGO or an authorised representative. The list of participants may include a maximum of five representatives and must include their full names and dates of birth entered exactly as in their passports.
Application process
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Complete one application form for accreditation per NGO before 14 February 2023.
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Applications will be reviewed by the Technical Secretariat to ensure they are complete. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
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After the deadline, the Technical Secretariat will compile the details of all the eligible applications for the General Committee to consider.
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Applications will be reviewed and decided upon by the General Committee of the Conference.
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The Technical Secretariat will inform NGOs of the General Committee’s decisions and facilitate the participation of accredited NGOs at RC-5.
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Representatives of accredited NGOs will be invited to provide required information to the Technical Secretariat to participate in the Conference and support their applications for visas (if required). Documentation to support visa applications will be provided to NGOs.
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The Technical Secretariat will coordinate side events and exhibitions with NGOs (subject to availability).
Application decisions
Application decisions are made by the General Committee and are expected to be communicated by March 2023 by email from the Technical Secretariat. This is intended to allow for sufficient time for approved applicants to make travel and visa arrangements. Applicants are advised not to arrange travel without receiving a written confirmation from the OPCW.
More information
What is the General Committee?
A General Committee is appointed at each session of the Conference of the States Parties (including Review Conferences) and is made up of delegates from Member States representing each geographical region. The General Committee is responsible for considering the agenda of the Conference and for matters related to its organisation (see Rules 41-43 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference of the States Parties, C-I/3/Rev.2, dated 8 April 2013).
The General Committee is in charge of approving accreditation applications for NGO attendance and participation. The Technical Secretariat compiles the details of NGOs applying for accreditation and submits the list for “vetting by States Parties through the General Committee”. Following the decision of the States Parties, the General Committee will notify the Technical Secretariat of which NGOs have been accredited to participate in the Conference (see Guidelines for Future Attendance and Participation by Non-Governmental Organisations.)
Visas
Representatives of accredited NGOs who need a visa to visit the Netherlands will be provided by the Technical Secretariat with supporting documentation to help with their visa applications. The OPCW is unable to assist with visa applications in any further regard – it is the sole responsibility of the NGO representative to obtain their visa.
Funding
Unfortunately, due to external funding cycles, it is not possible to provide funding for NGO travel to RC-5. NGOs are encouraged to approach other funding sources well in advance of the Conference.