In compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), The Federated States of Micronesia has informed the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that it has designated the Department of Justice as its National Authority.
Article VII, paragraph 4 of the Chemical
Weapons Convention states: “In order to fulfil its obligations under the
Convention, each State Party shall designate or establish a National Authority
to serve as the national focal point for effective liaison with the Organization
and other States Parties.” A CWC National Authority is crucial in ensuring
the effective implementation of the CWC within each State Party’s national
jurisdiction.
The National Authority will take up
the responsibility of implementing the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention
(CWC) at the national level To meet its basic obligations, each State Party
must be able to submit all the required declarations, communicate with the OPCW,
cooperate with other States Parties, facilitate OPCW inspections, respond to
OPCW requests for assistance, protect the confidentiality of classified information,
monitor and enforce national compliance and cooperate in the peaceful uses of
chemistry. States Parties are obliged to declare and to eliminate all chemical
weapons stockpiles and chemical weapons production facilities. The National
Authority plays an indispensable role in all of these activities.
As at 20 November 2006, 172 of the 180 States Parties
to the Chemical Weapons Convention have established or designated National Authorities.
PR85 / 2006