The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) today is pleased to announce Paraguay has officially adopted new legislation implementing provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) into national law. Following Paraguay’s participation in the 2nd Session of the Internship Programme for Legal Drafters and National Authorities’ Representatives at OPCW Headquarters in February 2013, the draft legislation was finally approved and entered into force on 10 September 2015.*
Coming after many years of effective cooperation with the OPCW, Paraguay’s new law is aimed at establishing control mechanisms for chemical weapons and toxic chemicals in compliance with its obligations under the CWC.
One of the key requirements for States Parties to the CWC is the adoption of legislative measures to implement the provisions of the Convention in order to give it full force within the legal system of the implementing State. To further this goal, the OPCW Technical Secretariat launched the “Internship Programme for Legal Drafters and National Authorities’ Representatives” in 2012, which has since evolved into one of the core programmes in support of States Parties’ national implementation of the CWC.
To date, 21 countries from three regional groups have participated successfully completed the programme and drafted legislation for national implementation of the CWC.
Paraguay thus becomes the fourth country, after Grenada, Cape Verde and Panama, to have successfully adopted legislation shortly after completing the programme.
In 2015, two more sessions are scheduled to take place in October and November, with more information available at our website.
*Ley no. 5458 Que establece las medidas de control para el Cumplimiento de las obligaciones contraídas en virtud de la Convención sobre la prohibición del desarrollo, la Producción, el almacenamiento y el empleo de armas químicas Y sobre su destrucción